Ryoginan Temple Abbot’s Quarters

JAPAN, Kyoto

Ryoginan Temple is one of the subsidiary temples of Tofukuji Temple and belongs to the Rinzai school of Japanese Buddhism. The abbot’s quarters is one of the oldest halls in the country. It is the Memorial Hall of National Master Mukan Fumon, who was the third abbot of Tofukuji Temple. According to a plaque penned by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the abbot’s quarters was built in 1387 during the Nanbokucho period, and it was listed as a National Treasure in 1963.
The eight-by-six bay abbot’s quarters has a hip-and-gable roof covered with cypress bark. The building is 16.5 m wide and 12.4 m deep. At the portico there is a grid folding door and wooden windows, while paper walls and sliding doors divide the interior. The interior is divided into six rooms, with three at the front and three at the rear. The layout and design are very different from later abbot’s quarters, providing important information for understanding the architectural style of this type of building before the Onin War (1467–1477).