Nageire-dō Hall

Nageire-dō (Nageiredō Hall) is located in Misasa Town, Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture. It is an inner sanctuary hall of Sanbutsu-ji Temple and is regarded as an extremely precious example of cliffside wooden architecture in Japanese architectural history. The hall sits on a rock ledge halfway up the northern slope of Mount Mitoku, sheltered by a natural rock wall above, which has protected it from the elements to this day. Believed to have been built in the Heian period, it is one of the few surviving esoteric Buddhist halls in Japan, and in 1952 it was officially designated a National Treasure. Because visiting requires climbing the perilous gyōja-michi (pilgrims’ path), it is often referred to as “Japan’s most dangerous National Treasure.”

The name “Nageire-dō” comes from legend: in 706 (Keiun 3), En no Gyōja, the founder of Sanbutsu-ji, is said to have used magical powers to “throw” the hall, dedicated to Zao Gongen, from the plains into the mountains. Its original name was “Zao-den,” as confirmed by a ridge-beam inscription dated 1375. Historically, warrior monks of Mount Mitoku clashed with those of Daisen-ji Temple, and in retaliation, Daisen-ji set fire to many of Sanbutsu-ji’s buildings—yet Nageire-dō miraculously survived.

Based on architectural style, the hall is thought to have been constructed in the late Heian period (11th–12th centuries), though different parts may date to different times. Dendrochronological research conducted in 2001–2002 revealed that timbers from the north corridor were felled around 1098, suggesting that the overall layout had taken shape by the first half of the 12th century, with subsequent repairs replacing various components over time.

Nageire-dō was built on a rock ledge formed at the junction of basalt and tuff, with multiple wooden pillars supporting the entire structure, leaving the hall suspended against the cliff. The front and sides of the building have no doors; if permission to enter is granted, access is made from beneath the floor through the rear of the hall. The main structure is one bay wide and two bays deep, with a cypress-bark roof and surrounding corridor, measuring about 5.4 meters east–west and 3.9 meters north–south. Inside is enshrined a wooden standing statue of Zao Gongen (dated 1168), designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Although the building today appears austere, restoration work carried out between 2003 and 2006 discovered traces showing that the pillars and window frames had once been painted in red and white, and remnants of copper ornamentation were found on the roof components, indicating that the hall may originally have been vividly decorated.