A Buddha hall with memorial wings
The Minobusan Kuonji Butsuden and Nohaido Halls (身延山久遠寺仏殿納牌堂, Butsuden Nōhaidō) are a Buddhist hall of 1931 facing south on the upper terrace of Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
A butsuden is a Buddha hall, and the nohaido attached on its east and west sides are halls for memorial tablets; the three parts are registered as a single building. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Minobusan Kuonji Butsuden and Nohaido Halls as a single-storey timber structure with a copper roof and a footprint of 1,016 square metres, larger than the 851 square metres of the Soshido on the same terrace. It was renovated in 2013.
Two roof shapes in one building
The Butsuden is 7 bays wide and 6 bays deep, with a porch 3 bays wide at the front. Double-stepped bracket sets run along the outer walls, and inside, tall posts rising through to the roof framing and arched tie beams span the large interior.
The flanking Nohaido carry double pyramidal roofs that run on from the hip-and-gable roof of the Butsuden. The agency sees an original solution here: a modern combination of functions gathered into one distinctive silhouette.
What to look for, and visiting
The Minobusan Kuonji Butsuden and Nohaido Halls are where the temple holds its daily services at noon and 3:00 p.m., in the Butsuden, and anyone may attend; sutra books are kept for visitors to borrow.
If you join a service, look up at the framework of tall posts and tie beams, but keep your camera away: photography indoors is not allowed as a rule. Outdoors you can photograph freely, and the best view is from the front, where the 3-bay porch and the double roofs of the Nohaido fit into one frame. 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 Butsuden and Nohaido Halls?
- Butsuden Nōhaidō, "bu-tsu-den no-hai-do".
- How is the Butsuden and Nohaido laid out?
- A south-facing Buddha hall with memorial-tablet halls under double pyramidal roofs attached on its east and west sides.
- When were the Butsuden and Nohaido built?
- In 1931; they were renovated in 2013.
- Can visitors attend services in the Butsuden and Nohaido?
- Yes. Services are held in the Butsuden at noon and 3:00 p.m., and anyone may attend.
- When were the Butsuden and Nohaido registered as a cultural property?
- On 2018/05/10.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Butsuden and Nohaido Halls (身延山久遠寺仏殿納牌堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4252 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-119 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, copper roof; footprint 1,016 square metres; Butsuden 7 bays by 6 bays |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior open for services (anyone may attend; no photography inside) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Butsuden and Nohaido Halls
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012343
- 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
