An octagon for Nichiren's relics
The Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Hall (身延山久遠寺御真骨堂, Goshinkotsudō) is an octagonal hall of 1881 on the sloping ground west of the Butsuden at Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2020/08/17.
Goshinkotsu is the reverent term for Nichiren's own bones, and the temple says the hall keeps them in an interior fitted with up-to-date protection against disaster. The temple presents the building as a white octagon with its own worship hall; that worship hall was registered separately, 2 years before the octagon itself.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Hall as a single-storey building in dozo-zukuri, the thick plastered construction of Japanese fireproof storehouses, with a copper roof and a footprint of 106 square metres. A wooden hoto, a treasure stupa, is registered with it.
White walls outside, gold within
The outer walls are finished in plaster, and an anteroom and corridor are attached. On the east and west sides, windows sit under cusped karahafu gables whose curves stand out against the white.
The interior could hardly be more different. On an octagonal altar platform in the inner sanctuary stands a golden hoto. The aisle around it is spanned by ebi-koryo, beams curved like a shrimp's back, carved with celestial maidens. Posts, bracket sets and carvings are all finished in gold leaf and bright colour, which the agency says gives the hall an interior of exceptional splendour.
What to look for, and visiting
The temple website does not mention any public opening of the inner sanctuary of the Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Hall, so the gilded stupa and carved beams are best known through the agency's description. Photography inside Kuonji's halls is not allowed as a rule.
From outside, look for the white octagonal walls and the curved-gable windows to the east and west. The hall stands on the slope west of the Butsuden, which is the easiest landmark to find it by. Hours and directions for the temple are on the Minobusan Kuonji page.
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Hall?
- Goshinkotsudō, "go-shin-ko-tsu-do"; the full reading is Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudō.
- What is kept in the Goshinkotsudo?
- According to the temple, relics of Nichiren. A golden hoto stands on the altar of the inner sanctuary.
- What does the Goshinkotsudo look like?
- A plastered octagonal hall with an anteroom and corridor, and windows under cusped gables on the east and west.
- When was the Goshinkotsudo built?
- In 1881.
- When was the Goshinkotsudo registered as a cultural property?
- On 2020/08/17.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Hall (身延山久遠寺御真骨堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4252 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-0149 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey, plastered storehouse construction, copper roof; footprint 106 square metres; with a wooden hoto |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewing (no published opening of the interior; no photography inside) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Goshinkotsudo Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013386
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — Guide to the grounds (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/precincts/
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — FAQ (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/faq/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
