A Main Hall of 1847 with Boarded Gables
The Tokoji Temple Main Hall (東光寺本堂) is a main hall combining an abbot's-hall plan with living quarters, with gables boarded in the local ganki style of 1847 in Takehara, Kitayama Village, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 234 square metres; registration number 30-0190.
A Hall with Living Quarters
The main hall of Tokoji Temple in Takehara, Kitayama Village, Wakayama, dates from 1847 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Nine and a half bays by six, it has a gabled roof with its entrance on the long side and faces east.
It joins a main hall of the hojo, or abbot's-hall, type with living quarters, five rooms in the hall and four in the living part. Plain outside, it has a fine interior centred on an inner sanctum of zelkova wood. Both gables are boarded in a style called ganki, a local feature (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
At the main hall, look for the zelkova inner sanctum and the ganki boarding on both gables (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The main hall and gate are owned by Tokoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting was found. Both are introduced together on the Tokoji Temple (Kitayama) page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1847 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What type of hall is it?
- A hall joined to living quarters.
- What is ganki?
- Local boarding on the gables.
- What is inside?
- An inner sanctum of zelkova.
- When was the Tokoji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tokoji Temple Main Hall (東光寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 296 Takehara, Kitayama Village, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, 234 m² |
| Owner | Tokoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Tokoji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010039
Last verified: 2026.11.07
