Sazae Temple [Fukushima]

【Sazae Temple summary】

The official name of Sazae Temple is “Entsu Sansodo,” a unique double-helix structure with a ramp. Ikudo, who was the abbot at that time, was built in 1796 in the late Edo period as the Buddhist hall of Shomune-ji Temple. It was designated a National Important Cultural Property on June 27, 1995.

【Iimoriyama, Byakkotai’s gravesite】

When going up to the Byakkotai graveyard and the turbaned hall, there are either stairs or a moving walkway. I took the stairs, but my wife took the moving sidewalk. I went up the stairs, but my wife took the moving walkway and bought a ticket for 250 yen, laughing at the announcement. Personally, I thought the atmosphere of the Byakkotai cemetery was not so pleasant…

At the top of the hill, there is a gravestone where Byakkotai committed suicide and the city of Aizu Wakamatsu can be seen in the distance. Byakkotai saw the smoke of Tsuruga Castle from here, and then they committed suicide. It must have been a regrettable moment for them. The Byakkotai members who committed suicide were boys, aged between 16 and 17 at the time.

【Sazae Temple appearance】

It is a unique hexagonal building with three hexagonal levels and a height of approximately 16 meters. It is the only one of its kind in Japan and one of its kind in the world, with three hexagonal levels, each approximately 16 meters high, and a spiral passageway with separate ascending and descending levels.

【Sazae Temple inside a temple】

Inside the building, there is a double spiral ramp, with two separate ramps, one going up clockwise and the other going down counterclockwise.

It seems to have been a kind of “attraction” in the modern sense of the word, to allow people to easily experience the “pilgrimage to the 33 sacred Kannon temples in the western part of Japan,” which was popular throughout Japan at the time, right here in Aizu.

The “Sazae Temple” (a hall for the 33 statues of the Kannon) was built to fulfill the dreams of the common people, and this structure, which allows visitors to visit 33 statues of the Kannon at one time, was very popular among the common people.

The innumerable bills pasted inside the hall are said to be a true representation of the situation.

【Byakkotai August Limited GOSHUIN】

It can be purchased at the store between Byakkotai Cemetery and Aizu Sazae-do. There are different types for each month, each costing 1,000 yen.

【Sazae Temple Nearby attractions】

Iimoriyama Itsukushima Shrine, Tsuruga Castle, Aizu Buke Yashiki

Iimoriyama Itsukushima Shrine [Fukushima]

Tsuruga Castle [Fukushima]

Aizu Buke Yashiki [Fukushima] 2024年9月22日

【Sazae Temple Access】