A plastered hall north-west of the Sanmon
The Minobusan Kuonji Taishido Hall (身延山久遠寺太子堂, Taishidō) is a hall of 1912 facing east, north-west of the Sanmon gate of Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
It is built in dozo-zukuri, the thick-walled, plastered construction of a Japanese storehouse. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 30 square metres, and sees it as a record of Taishi worship, the veneration of Prince Shotoku as a founding patron of Japanese Buddhism.
Stone base, white walls
The Minobusan Kuonji Taishido is 3 bays square under a pyramidal roof of standard pantiles. At the front, a porch with a gently convex gabled roof reaches out towards the visitor.
The walls start with 3 courses of foundation stone, faced above with stone slabs to waist height. From there up to the eaves everything is sealed in plaster, so almost no timber shows on the outside.
Inside, the back bay forms an inner sanctuary with an altar, and the outer room has a coffered ceiling.
What to look for, and visiting
Stand on the east side of the Minobusan Kuonji Taishido Hall to see the white plastered body set against its timber porch. At ground level, look at the stepped stone courses.
The temple website does not mention any public opening of the interior. Kuonji does not allow photography inside its halls as a rule, but outdoors it is unrestricted. Hours and directions for the temple are on the Minobusan Kuonji page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Minobusan Kuonji Taishido Hall?
- North-west of the Sanmon gate of Minobusan Kuonji, facing east.
- When was the Taishido built?
- In 1912.
- How is the Taishido built?
- In storehouse style: above a stone base, the walls are plastered all the way to the eaves, under a pyramidal tiled roof.
- What is inside the Taishido?
- An altar in the inner sanctuary at the back, and a coffered ceiling over the outer room.
- When was the Taishido registered as a cultural property?
- On 2018/05/10.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Taishido Hall (身延山久遠寺太子堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3567 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-127 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey storehouse-style construction, tiled roof; footprint 30 square metres; 3 bays square |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior only (grounds free; no photography inside halls) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Taishido Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012351
- 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
