Reconstructed Guest Hall at Kyoto's Kodaiji Temple Opens to the Public on November 14, 237 Years After the 1789 Fire
In Kyoto, Japan, the reconstructed Guest Hall (Kyakuden) at Kodaiji Temple in Higashiyama opened to the public on November 14, starting at 1 p.m. Japan time. The original hall had been moved to the temple from Fushimi Castle in 1605 and was destroyed by fire in 1789, making this the first public access in 237 years.
Kodaiji was consecrated in 1606 by Kita no Mandokoro, known as Nene, in memory of her husband, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the Guest Hall served as a venue for receptions and Buddhist ceremonies. Japanese media reported that, with no blueprints surviving, the reconstruction is a restoration based on old drawings and archaeological excavation results; the rebuilding plan had been under way for 38 years, construction began in 2022, the cost was about 1.5 billion yen, and the hall was shown to the press on November 10.
The reconstructed hall opens in daytime only, with regular hours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It remains closed during Kodaiji's autumn evening illuminations, which run through December 13 with the grounds open until 10 p.m.
Kodaiji is a major cultural landmark in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, and structures such as its main gate are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The newly opened Guest Hall is a contemporary reconstruction, not a survivor of the 1789 fire.
Source: Kodaiji Temple, Kyoto
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：京都高台寺境内的茅葺茶室建筑（资料图）。来源：Fg2，Wikimedia Commons，公共领域。 / Photo: Thatched-roof teahouse buildings on the grounds of Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto (file photo). Source: Fg2, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
