Housed inside a modest wooden building that’s easy to walk past without noticing, this spot holds one of the most unique features on the Zenkoji Temple grounds: an ornate octagonal sutra repository containing a complete set of Buddhist scriptures.

Visitors are invited to gently rotate the structure by hand, a tradition believed to grant the same spiritual merit as reading the sutras themselves. Though it’s often called a “sutra shelf”, it looks more like a golden pavilion—beautifully decorated and set on a central axis.

Note: A separate ticket is required to enter, unless you have the combined ticket, which includes access to all four major locations within the Zenkoji Temple grounds:

1. Main Hall + Okaidan Meguri

2. Sanmon Gate

3. Sutra House (Kyōzō)

4. Zenkoji History Museum (Nihon-chūreiden)