Home to a wooden statue of a seated Yakushi Nyorai (the Buddha of Healing), Yakushidō Hall at Myōkōji Temple is located on the bank of the Misasa River which has flooded multiple times in the past.

In 1993, the hall underwent conservation and restoration due to drastic deterioration caused by aging. During an investigation held at the time, ink writing was discovered under the dais of the statue that confirmed the building was constructed in 1539. The writings also revealed that the hall underwent major renovations twice: once in 1763 and again in 1823.

It is common for older buildings to undergo repairs several times over the course of their lives, and there are many examples of buildings being altered during the course of these repairs. In terms of Yakushidō Hall, the upper and lower roofs were altered. Previously, the upper roof was made of thatch, and the lower roof was made of cypress wood shingles. During one of the alterations, both roofs were turned into tile roofs.

The door to the main gate was also altered from an authentic zenshū-style (a style of architecture imported from China during the Sung dynasty with Zen elements) to a more common wooden door. In addition, the position of the two side entrances was also altered, and reinforcement wall studs were added.  

Due to these alterations, which took place during the 1763 and 1823 renovations, the exterior had the look of an Edo period building. However, during the 1993 restoration, the building was restored, as faithfully as possible, to reflect how the building looked when it was first built in the Muromachi period (1185-1333).

A beloved fixture in the local community, Yakushidō Hall has been protected and its legacy passed down through the ages while undergoing several renovations. After the largescale renovation in 1993, that legacy will continue, carried forward by future generations as one of the few Muromachi period buildings in the city area


Date of Important Tangible Cultural Heritage designation: March 25, 1986
Building details: The purlins measure 8.23 meters, the crossbeam measures 8.23 meters, and the entire hall is topped by a two-story hip-and-gable copper sheet roof.

Information

Yakushidō Hall at Myōkōji Temple(Hiroshima City-Designated Important Tangible Cultural Heritage)

• Address

  4-5-18 Fukawa, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima 739-1751

• Tel

  082-842-0148

• Access

  5-minute walk from Naka-Fukawa Station on the JR Geibi Line (accessible from Hiroshima Station)

• MAP

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