Where pilgrims wash before the grave
The Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion (身延山久遠寺祖廟域水屋, Sobyōiki Mizuya) is a water pavilion of 1944 just before the worship hall at Nichiren's grave in the Nishidani valley at Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2020/08/17.
A mizuya is a purification fountain, where visitors rinse their hands before praying. Here the basin is a natural boulder, hollowed out and fed with clear water led from the Minobu River.
On the temple's map of the grave precinct, the numbered route from the Ryusenbashi bridge reaches the pavilion right after the Ryozenbashi bridge over the Minobu River, and the grave comes next.
A single bay of logs
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion as a timber structure of 10 square metres, 1 bay by 1 bay, with a gabled cypress-bark roof running east to west. 4 thick logs serve as posts and carry the beams, and even the rafters and the roof edging are cut from logs.
The design is plain and straight-lined, but the agency praises the choice of timber and the care of the workmanship. The pavilion went up 2 years after the worship hall behind it, in the same logs and bark, and the agency sees the 2 buildings as one composed approach to the grave.
What to look for, and visiting
The Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion is in daily use: it is where pilgrims to the grave purify themselves. Look at the weight of the stone basin against the round logs of the posts and rafters.
Kuonji allows photography outdoors but generally not inside buildings, and its website gives no specific guidance for this pavilion; keep clear of people using the water. Hours and directions for the temple are on the Minobusan Kuonji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamanashi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion
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Q&A
- What is the Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion for?
- It is where visitors to Nichiren's grave purify their hands before praying.
- Where does the water in the Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion come from?
- The temple says it is clear water led from the Minobu River.
- What is the basin in the Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion made of?
- A large natural stone, hollowed out and shaped into a basin.
- When was the Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion built?
- In 1944.
- When was the Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion registered as a cultural property?
- On 2020/08/17.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion (身延山久遠寺祖廟域水屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3628 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-0152 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, cypress-bark roof; area 10 square metres; 1 bay by 1 bay; stone basin |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Open to visitors (purification fountain; grounds free) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Sobyo Mizuya Pavilion
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013389
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — Guide to the grounds (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/precincts/
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — Gobyosho, Nichiren's grave (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/precincts/gobyosho/
- Minobusan Kuonji official site — FAQ (Japanese)
- https://www.kuonji.jp/faq/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
