A small hall on the slope above the main buildings
The Minobusan Kuonji Enshido Hall (身延山久遠寺莚師堂, Enshidō) is a hall of 1876 facing east on the slope above the main buildings of Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2020/08/17.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 32 square metres, renovated in 1991. Where the Soshido and the Butsuden crowd the central terrace, the Enshido sits apart, up the hillside behind them.
A divided interior and a decorated porch
The plan is unusual: four bays wide, one bay deep at the front and two at the back. The hip-and-gable roof turns its gable end to the front, where a porch roof projects. Inside, the hall is split into a front room and an inner sanctuary that holds a stone gorinto, the five-part memorial tower of Japanese Buddhism.
Structurally the Enshido is plain. Carved bracket arms on top of the outer posts carry the beams directly, with none of the stacked brackets that hold up the big halls below.
The ornament is concentrated at the porch instead. The agency singles out the frog-leg struts carved with folding fans and celestial maidens, which lift the entrance above the restraint of the rest of the building.
What to look for, and visiting
The Minobusan Kuonji Enshido Hall is a building to see from outside; the temple website does not mention any public opening of the inner sanctuary. Kuonji asks visitors not to photograph inside its halls, but photography outdoors is unrestricted.
Stand in front of the east side and look at the porch beam to find the carved struts with fans and heavenly maidens, all the brighter against the plain eaves around them. 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 Enshido Hall
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Q&A
- How do you read the name Enshido?
- It is read Enshidō, "en-shi-do"; the full name is Minobusan Kuonji Enshido.
- Where is the Minobusan Kuonji Enshido Hall?
- On the slope above the central buildings of Minobusan Kuonji, facing east.
- When was the Enshido built?
- In 1876; it was renovated in 1991.
- What is enshrined inside the Enshido?
- The interior is divided in two, and the inner sanctuary holds a stone gorinto memorial tower.
- When was the Enshido registered as a cultural property?
- On 2020/08/17.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Enshido Hall (身延山久遠寺莚師堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4226 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-0153 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof; footprint 32 square metres; 4 bays wide |
| 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) — Enshido Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013390
- 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
