The Thatched Main Hall of Jionji
The Honzan Jionji Main Hall (本山慈恩寺本堂), also called the Miroku Hall, is the thatched main hall of Honzan Jionji at Jionji, Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture, rebuilt in 1618 by the Mogami lords of Yamagata Castle, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on April 23, 1908 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Jionji).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as seven bays by five, single-storey, under a thatched hip-and-gable roof with a one-bay entrance canopy; owned by Honzan Jionji.
Jionji and the Rebuilding of the Hall
According to the temple, the monk Gyoki reported the beauty of this place to Emperor Shomu in 724, and in 746 the Indian monk Bodhisena founded the temple by imperial command. In the Edo period the precinct stretched 5 kilometres north to south and 1 kilometre east to west, and its estates of 18 villages yielding 2,812 koku were the largest of any temple in Tohoku.
The main hall burned three times; the present building was rebuilt in 1618 by the Mogami lords (Jionji). According to the Japan Heritage portal, Mogami Iechika began the work in 1616 and it was completed under his heir Ienobu (later Yoshitoshi). In 2024 the first roof restoration in 70 years was completed (Jionji).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Honzan Jionji Main Hall was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1908. The temple describes it as keeping the style of the Momoyama period and its massive thatched roof.
The hall is also a component of the Japan Heritage story of the safflower culture supported by Yamadera, as the hall that holds hidden Buddhas whose lips are painted with safflower red (Japan Heritage portal).
What to Look For
The Honzan Jionji Main Hall carries a massive thatched roof, and the openwork frog-leg strut carved with guardian lion-dogs at the front of the canopy is said to have come from the earlier hall (Japan Heritage portal).
Within the shrine cabinet of the hall are five hidden Buddhas centred on Miroku (Maitreya), made in 1298. The hall also holds a statue of the young Prince Shotoku praying for his father, thought to date from around 1314 (Jionji).
Visiting Jionji
According to the temple, it is open from 9:00 to 16:00 every day; ordinary visits cover the main hall and Yakushi Hall. Admission is 700 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school students and 200 yen for younger pupils; preschoolers are free.
The address is 31 Jionji, Sagae City, about 20 minutes' walk from Uzen-Takamatsu Station on the JR Aterazawa Line or 15 minutes by car from the Sagae interchange. Telephone 0237-87-3993 (Jionji). The precinct lies within the national historic site of the Former Precinct of Jionji Temple.
Q&A
- When was the Honzan Jionji Main Hall built?
- It was rebuilt in 1618 by the Mogami lords of Yamagata Castle (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Jionji).
- When was Jionji founded?
- By tradition in 746, by the Indian monk Bodhisena on Emperor Shomu's command (Jionji).
- What is special about the roof of the Honzan Jionji Main Hall?
- A massive thatched hip-and-gable roof, restored in 2024 for the first time in 70 years (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Jionji).
- What is enshrined in the main hall?
- Five hidden Buddhas centred on Miroku, made in 1298 (Jionji).
- When was the Honzan Jionji Main Hall designated?
- On April 23, 1908.
Basic Information
| Name | Honzan Jionji Main Hall (本山慈恩寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Jionji, Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1908/4/23 (Meiji 41) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 7 bays by 5, single storey, hip-and-gable roof, 1-bay canopy, thatched |
| Owner | Honzan Jionji |
| Public Access | Open 9:00 to 16:00 daily, adults 700 yen |
References
- Honzan Jionji Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/192
- Honzan Jionji Main Hall (Japan Heritage portal)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/3682/
- About Jionji (Honzan Jionji)
- https://honzan-jionji.jp/about-page/
- Halls and Buddhist statues (Honzan Jionji)
- https://honzan-jionji.jp/halls-and-buddhist-statues-page/
- Visiting and prayers (Honzan Jionji)
- https://honzan-jionji.jp/visiting-and-praying-page/
- Access (Honzan Jionji)
- https://honzan-jionji.jp/traffic-page/
Last verified: 2026.10.11