What is a kyozo at a Japanese temple?

A kyozo is a sutra repository, the building where a Buddhist temple stores its scriptures. It is usually a small, sturdy structure set slightly apart from the main hall to protect the texts from fire and damp.

What is the revolving bookcase inside a kyozo?

The revolving bookcase inside some kyozo is called a rinzo, a large octagonal case of scriptures mounted so it can be turned on a central pillar. Giving it a full rotation is traditionally believed to grant the same merit as reading every sutra it holds.

Can visitors turn the revolving sutra case in a kyozo?

At temples that allow it, visitors may turn the revolving sutra case (rinzo) by pushing the arms or bars around its base, though many are kept closed or off-limits. Always follow the posted notice about whether it can be turned and in which direction.

Kyozo

Architecture

経蔵・ Reading: きょうぞう

Kyozo — 日:JnnWikimedia Commons CC BY 2.1 jp

Definition

A sutra repository that stores Buddhist scriptures. Some hold a revolving octagonal bookcase (rinzo) that, when turned, is believed to grant the merit of reading every sutra inside.

What it holds

A kyozo is the building where a temple keeps its Buddhist scriptures. In the past, entire sets of the canon were copied by hand or printed from woodblocks, so they were valuable and needed protection from fire, damp and insects. The kyozo was often set slightly apart from the main halls and built with thick walls or raised floors to guard the texts inside.

The revolving bookcase

The feature many visitors come to see is the rinzo, a large octagonal bookcase mounted on a central pillar so that it turns. The scriptures are stored on its shelves, and by pushing the handles to rotate it once you are said to gain the same merit as reading every text it contains. This idea is traditionally linked to a Chinese layman named Fu Daishi, whose image, often shown laughing with his two sons, sometimes stands nearby.

How to recognise one

Not every kyozo has a rinzo, and many are simply closed storehouses you view from outside. When a revolving case is present, look for the long wooden arms radiating from the base and any notice explaining whether visitors may turn it. Where turning is allowed, follow the posted direction and give it a slow, respectful push rather than a hard spin.

Common questions

What is a kyozo at a Japanese temple?: A kyozo is a sutra repository, the building where a Buddhist temple stores its scriptures. It is usually a small, sturdy structure set slightly apart from the main hall to protect the texts from fire and damp.
What is the revolving bookcase inside a kyozo?: The revolving bookcase inside some kyozo is called a rinzo, a large octagonal case of scriptures mounted so it can be turned on a central pillar. Giving it a full rotation is traditionally believed to grant the same merit as reading every sutra it holds.
Can visitors turn the revolving sutra case in a kyozo?: At temples that allow it, visitors may turn the revolving sutra case (rinzo) by pushing the arms or bars around its base, though many are kept closed or off-limits. Always follow the posted notice about whether it can be turned and in which direction.