Senjokaku

In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the government priest Ankokuji Ekei to build this Daikyodo Sutra Hall so that one thousand sutras could be recited each month. It is the largest wooden building on the island, and has been nicknamed Senjokaku because it is as large as 857 tatami mats. Construction was halted following Hideyoshi's sudden death, so the ceiling was left unfinished except for above the altar, and it remains in an unfinished state to this day. During the Edo period, this place was already popular as a place to socialize and enjoy the cool air, and the large pillars are inscribed with the names of kabuki actors from that time, as well as senryu poems. Following the Meiji era's Shinbutsu Bunri (law to separate Shinto and Buddhism), the Buddha statue was moved to Daiganji Temple, and it became Toyokuni Shrine, dedicated to Hideyoshi.