Rurikoji

The five-story pagoda of Rurikoji is said to have been planned by Ouchi Moriharu to honor his elder brother Ouchi Yoshihiro, who died in the Oei Rebellion of 1399. It is a remnant of Koshakuji, Yoshihiro's family temple, and is thought to have been completed in the second year of Kakitsu, around 1442. An ink inscription reading Kakitsu 2 was found on a bracket block during the dismantling repair of 1915 (Taisho 4), which is the basis for the date. The pagoda conveys the culture of the Ouchi clan at the height of its power in western Japan. It is a three-bay five-story pagoda and was designated a National Treasure in 1952.

The style is basically Japanese (wayo), with a few Chinese-style (karayo) techniques. The roof is cypress-bark, and because the body of the tower narrows toward the top, the whole gives a clean impression. It is 31.2 meters tall, built with a central-pillar technique said to give high earthquake resistance, and is the tenth oldest surviving five-story pagoda. Along with Horyu-ji in Nara and Daigo-ji in Kyoto, it is counted among the Three Famous Pagodas of Japan. Up close, the overlapping roofs and the details of the timber stand out; from a little farther away, the whole shape is wrapped in the surrounding greenery.

The grounds of Rurikoji, where the pagoda stands, are part of Kozan Park. A pond lies before the tower, and the hill behind and the pagoda are reflected on its surface. In spring about 170 cherry trees harmonize with the pagoda, and the scene changes with fresh green in summer, autumn leaves, and snow in winter. It is lit from sunset until 22:00, showing a different face than by day. The great Reiwa-era restoration replaced the cypress-bark roof for the first time in about 70 years and was completed at the end of December 2025. The scaffolding roof has been removed, so the whole can again be seen up close. Kozan Park is free to enter, so it is easy to stop by on a stroll.

Nearby, the Rurikoji museum on the grounds shows the oldest surviving copy of Dogen's Shobogenzo in Japan and a model of the pagoda's framework. Close by are Toshunji, the family temple of Mori Motonari, and Chinryutei, where loyalists from Satsuma and Choshu gathered at the end of the Edo period. About 1.8 km away, Joeiji has a garden said to have been made by Sesshu. Yamaguchi is a town the Ouchi developed with Kyoto in mind, and walking around from the pagoda lets that history overlap with what you see. Because it is also a place of worship, visit quietly so as not to disturb worshippers.