Honganji yokkaichi betsu-in Temple, Buddhist temple in Usa, Japan

Honganji Yokkaichi Betsu-in is a Buddhist temple in Usa featuring traditional Japanese construction with wooden buildings and landscaped gardens around the main hall. The complex includes multiple structures arranged to serve religious practice and community activities.

The temple began as a hermitage founded in the late 16th century, later becoming Shinsho-ji. In 1737 the Shinsho-ji Sodo dispute split its branch temples and followers, many of whom joined the Honganji-ha (Nishi-Honganji). In 1743 the shogunate confiscated Shinsho-ji and transferred it to the Higashi-Honganji, which in 1744 made it its first Kyushu headquarters. The Honganji-ha moved Shomyo-ji from Kawabe to Yokkaichi in 1746 and rebuilt its main hall from 1748 as a separate betsu-in.

The temple serves as a gathering place where followers come together for daily prayer and communal rituals centered on Pure Land teachings. The spaces are used for regular ceremonies that reflect the spiritual practices observed by members of this Buddhist branch.

Visitors can participate in regular prayer services and meditation sessions that are open to guests. It helps to check opening times in advance and approach the grounds with respectful behavior.

The Nishi Betsuin main hall, about 30 m wide and 26 m deep, is among Kyushu's largest wooden buildings; in 2016 it and ten other structures on the grounds were registered as national Tangible Cultural Properties. The temple stands directly beside the Higashi Betsuin of the Otani-ha, a pairing of the two Honganji branches found nowhere else.