A roof for the incense burner
The Minobusan Kuonji Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion (身延山久遠寺祖師堂前香炉屋, Soshidō-mae Kōroya) is a canopy of 1879 over the incense burner directly in front of the Soshido at Minobusan Kuonji in Minobu, Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2020/08/17.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it as a timber structure with a copper roof covering just 4.2 square metres. By the record it is 2 years older than the Soshido behind it, which dates from 1881.
Zen-style detail in a single bay
The Minobusan Kuonji Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion is 1 bay square, under a pyramidal roof clad in copper sheet laid over battens. Its design follows the Zen style, the architectural manner that came to Japan with Zen Buddhism: double-stepped bracket sets sit on the posts, and a double layer of rafters fans out toward the corners.
The detail is dense for so small a structure. The tie beam between the posts bends upward at its centre into a curve like the frame of a cusped katomado window, the beam ends are carved as lion heads, and dragons fill the gaps between the bracket sets. The agency calls the carving meticulous and excellent.
Overhead, a flat panelled ceiling carries a lively carved dragon. The agency sums the structure up as a small building with a design worth a close look.
What to look for, and visiting
The Minobusan Kuonji Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion stands in the open, so you can walk right up to it, and the temple allows photography outdoors.
Look first at the curved centre of the tie beam and the lion heads on either side, then look up for the dragon on the ceiling. Set against the great roof of the Soshido behind it, a structure of 4.2 square metres looks all the more finely worked. Hours and directions for the temple are on the Minobusan Kuonji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamanashi
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Minobusan Kuonji Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion?
- Soshidō-mae Kōroya, meaning the incense burner house in front of the Soshido.
- Where is the Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion?
- Directly in front of the Soshido, the founder's hall on the central terrace of Minobusan Kuonji.
- When was the Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion built?
- In 1879.
- What is on the ceiling of the Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion?
- A lively carved dragon on a flat panelled ceiling.
- When was the Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion registered as a cultural property?
- On 2020/08/17.
Basic Information
| Name | Minobusan Kuonji Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion (身延山久遠寺祖師堂前香炉屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4252 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 19-0150 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper roof (pyramidal); area 4.2 square metres; 1 bay square |
| Owner | Minobusan Kuonji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Viewable outdoors (grounds free; outdoor photography allowed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Soshido Incense Burner Pavilion
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013387
- 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
