Jikidō (Refectory)

The Jikido at Engyoji forms the west axis of the temple's Three Halls and holds the distinction of being the largest two-story hall of its kind in Japan, though it took nearly five centuries to complete. Construction began around 1174 at the request of Retired Emperor Goshirakawa, but fire and delays pushed its second story to a 1963 renovation. A visible architectural consequence of the long timeline: the southeast corner of the roof meets the adjacent Jogyodo hall at an awkward angle, visible from the upper-floor balcony. The ground floor is used for sutra-copying practice. The second floor displays religious artifacts including a fourteenth-century Kongo Satta statue.