A bell house on the summit
The Minobusan Kuonji Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House (身延山久遠寺奥之院思親閣鐘堂, Okunoin Shishinkaku Shōdō) is a bell house of 1935 at the Okunoin Shishinkaku on the summit of Mount Minobu, 1,153 metres up, at Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2020/08/17.
Okunoin means inner sanctuary, and this one marks the place where Nichiren is said to have climbed from his Nishidani hermitage to remember his parents and teacher back home. The bell house went up in the same year as the Shishinkaku Niomon Gate; the gate was registered first, in 2018, and the bell house joined it in 2020.
The Minobusan Ropeway reaches the summit from behind the main hall in about 7 minutes; on foot the trail takes about 2 hours.
4 leaning posts
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a timber structure of 13 square metres, 1 bay square, under a hip-and-gable roof of copper sheet laid over battens.
Its 4 round posts lean slightly inward, a treatment called uchikorobi, and are tied by rainbow-shaped lintels and head beams. A vase-shaped strut, the taiheizuka, stands on the lintel of each side. Single-stepped bracket sets are packed between the posts, and inside, projecting three-block brackets hold up a flat mirror ceiling.
The agency sums up the Minobusan Kuonji Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House as a sturdy frame under deep eaves, a bell tower with a settled, stable form.
What to look for, and visiting
Stand at the foot of the Minobusan Kuonji Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House and look up the posts to see their inward lean, then pick out the vase-shaped strut on each side and the brackets crowded under the eaves.
The temple website does not say whether visitors may ring the bell or see the ceiling inside. For visits and events at the Okunoin, the temple asks people to contact the Okunoin directly. Photography outdoors is allowed. Hours and directions for the temple are on the Minobusan Kuonji page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Minobusan Kuonji Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House?
- At the Okunoin Shishinkaku on the summit of Mount Minobu, 1,153 metres up.
- When was the Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House built?
- In 1935, the same year as the Shishinkaku Niomon Gate.
- What is unusual about the posts of the Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House?
- Its 4 round posts lean slightly inward and are tied by rainbow-shaped lintels and head beams.
- How do you reach the Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House?
- By the Minobusan Ropeway from behind the main hall, about 7 minutes, or on foot by the trail, about 2 hours.
- When was the Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House registered as a cultural property?
- On 2020/08/17.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House (身延山久遠寺奥之院思親閣鐘堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4222 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-0154 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper roof; area 13 square metres; 1 bay square |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewing (summit by ropeway, about 7 minutes; outdoor photography allowed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Okunoin Shishinkaku Bell House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013391
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — Guide to the grounds (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/precincts/
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — Okunoin Shishinkaku and Shichimenzan (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/annex/
- Minobusan Ropeway — Fares (Japanese)
- https://www.minobusanropeway.co.jp/fee/
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — FAQ (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/faq/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
