The worship hall before the relics
The Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall (身延山久遠寺御真骨堂拝殿, Goshinkotsudō Haiden) is a worship hall of 1881 facing south on the raised ground at the centre of the main temple area of Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
The temple describes its relic shrine as a white octagonal hall together with this haiden, or worship hall. The octagon, which holds relics of Nichiren, was registered on its own in 2020. Like the Soshido, the worship hall is recorded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a rebuilding for the 600th memorial of Nichiren's death.
The Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall is a single-storey timber building with a copper roof and a footprint of 115 square metres, renovated in 2001.
Zen-style brackets and deep eaves
It is 3 bays wide and 4 bays deep, under a hip-and-gable roof whose long side faces the front, with a porch sheltered by a cusped karahafu gable.
The vocabulary is the Zen style. Double-stepped bracket sets with slanting tail rafters, called odaruki, carry a double layer of rafters that fan out toward the corners and push the eaves far beyond the walls. The agency praises the carved detail and calls the building a concentrated statement of the design of that memorial rebuilding.
What to look for, and visiting
The temple website does not say whether the interior of the Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall is open to the public. Visitors may generally walk into Kuonji's halls, though some areas are closed at certain times; photography inside is not allowed as a rule, while outdoor photography is free.
Stand at the front and look up at the curve of the porch gable and the slanting tail rafters in the brackets. The Soshido porch carries the same kind of cusped gable, a reminder that both halls belong to the same memorial building campaign. 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 Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall?
- Goshinkotsudō Haiden; haiden means worship hall.
- Where is the Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall?
- On the raised ground at the centre of the main temple area of Minobusan Kuonji, facing south.
- When was the Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall built?
- In 1881, as a rebuilding for Nichiren's 600th memorial according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs; it was renovated in 2001.
- What style is the Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall?
- Mainly the Zen style, with tail-rafter bracket sets, deep fanned eaves and a porch under a cusped gable.
- When was the Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall registered as a cultural property?
- On 2018/05/10.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall (身延山久遠寺御真骨堂拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4252 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-118 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, copper roof; footprint 115 square metres; 3 bays by 4 bays |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewing (no published opening of the interior; no photography inside) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Goshinkotsudo Worship Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012342
- 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
