AREA MAP

【長野県宝】

松本市中央4丁目9-13 妙勝寺

開館時間　10:00–17:00

休館日　会期中無休

建物について

建築年　宝永2（1705）年
設計者　不明
施工者　摂津国大坂四天王寺檜波衆和泉守藤原家次、中村善兵衛ほか

宝永2（1705）年に建てられた、総檜（ひのき）造りの鐘楼。当時の多くの寺院が領主の祈願寺や菩提寺であったのに対し、念来寺は庶民の寺として、多くの人の信仰を集めて維持されてきた。廃仏毀釈により明治5（1872）年に廃寺となり、伽藍は取り壊されたが、鐘楼は「時の鐘」として使われていたため、取り壊しを免れた。

入母屋造りの屋根は本瓦形銅板葺きで、建築当時は檜皮（ひわだ）葺きだったが、5年後に銅板葺きに改められたと伝わる。1階の板張り部分は袴腰（はかまこし）付きで、2階の床と大きな屋根は、多重の組物で支えられている。軒裏は二重で、垂木（角材）を用いず、雲水の彫刻を施した厚板で持ち出されている。この彫刻は、板の節（ふし）を渦の中心にして彫られており、堅くて彫りにくい節を生かす工夫が凝らされている。2階は格子を組んだ格天井（ごうてんじょう）で、彩色を施した円形の方位盤の中心から、鐘が吊られている。鐘と、欄干の擬宝珠（ぎぼし）などの錺（かざり）は、戦時中に供出されて失われていたが、令和2（2020）年の修理工事の際に復元された。

昭和44（1969）年に松本市重要文化財に指定された後、平成24（2012）年に長野県宝に指定された。

Former Nenraiji Temple Bell Tower

4-9-13 Chuo, Matsumoto, Nagano (Myoshoji Temple)

Artist: ShiShi Yamazaki

Hours: 10:00–17:00

Closed: None during the festival

About the Building

Year of construction: 1705
Architect: Unknown
Builder: Fujiwara Ietsugu, Izumi-no-kami, of the Hiwadashu (cypress-bark craftsmen’s guild) of Shitennoji, Osaka, Settsu Province; Nakamura Zenbei; and others

Nagano Prefectural Treasure

Built in 1705, this is a bell tower constructed entirely of hinoki (Japanese cypress). While many temples of the time served as prayer temples or family temples of the local lord, Nenraiji was a temple of the common people, sustained by the devotion of many. In 1872, the temple was abolished in the anti-Buddhist movement known as haibutsu kishaku and its temple buildings were demolished, but the bell tower escaped destruction because it was in use as the town’s time bell (toki no kane).

The irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof is covered with copper plates in the style of honkawara tiles. Originally roofed with hiwada (cypress bark), it is said to have been changed to copper five years later. The boarded first floor has a hakamakoshi (flared skirt), and the second-floor floor and the large roof are supported by multiple tiers of brackets (kumimono). The eaves are double-tiered: instead of square-timber rafters, they are supported by thick boards carved with cloud motifs. The carving is made with a knot in the board at the center of a swirl, an ingenious way of taking advantage of knots, which are hard and difficult to carve. The second floor has a coffered ceiling (gotenjo) of latticework, and the bell hangs from the center of a colored circular direction panel. The bell and the ornamental metalwork (kazari), including the giboshi finials on the balustrade, were lost when they were requisitioned during the war, but were restored during repair work in 2020.

The tower was designated a Matsumoto City Important Cultural Property in 1969, and then a Nagano Prefectural Treasure in 2012.