Refers to a religious building, especially a Buddhist temple or a hall within a shrine complex. Often used in compound names.
The main hall of Kiyomizu-dera is very large.
hall; large room
A spacious room or building for public use, such as a meeting hall, concert hall, or assembly room. Common in compounds like 講堂 (auditorium) or 食堂 (dining hall).
The graduation ceremony was held in the university auditorium.
Suffix used in company names, store names, and similar commercial establishments, e.g., 〇〇堂 as a bookstore or pharmacy name.
That pharmacy is called 'Yamada-dō'.
noun, noun, used as a suffix, noun, used as a prefix
Archaic term for the front room or best room in a traditional house, used for receiving guests. Compare 表座敷.
See also: 表座敷
In old houses, the front room was a place to entertain guests.
会館 refers to a modern public building or hall used for meetings and events, while 堂 is a broader, often older term for a hall or chamber.
道 (どう, 'way; road; path') shares the same reading as 堂 but refers to a route or method, not a building.
dining room; dining hall; cafeteria · restaurant; eatery; diner
magnificent; grand; imposing; grandly; boldly · fair; open; unashamed; brazen; squarely
sacred hall; temple; church; sanctuary
palace; hall; grand building · shrine; temple; sanctuary · hall of fame
assembly hall; parliament building; diet building; capitol
main hall (of a Buddhist temple)
public hall; town hall; civic auditorium
auditorium; lecture hall
Buddhist hall; enshrinement hall; temple hall · cathedral; Catholic church
The kanji 堂 originally depicted a raised earthen platform with a roof, representing a formal hall or building. The reading どう is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.
one hall; one building; a single temple or shrine building · same place; same room; same building
sutra library
heaven; paradise
wayside shrine
on the roof; court nobles
Kannon hall; temple dedicated to Kannon
Noh theatre; Noh theater
main hall; golden hall
church building; cathedral; chapel
church; chapel; synagogue; tabernacle
thatched hut; monk's cell; humble abode
temple building; hall; edifice
Amitabha hall; temple hall with an Amitabha image
Catholic church; cathedral
hall with a statue of Kobo Daishi
main temple building; central hall
Buddhist temple building; Buddhist shrine
your mother; your home
temple meditation hall; monks' hall
separate building; detached hall
northern pavilion; north-facing room · mother