Halfway up Iimori-yama, Sazae-dō is a weird and wonderful hidden gem in a Buddhist temple complex. Built in 1796 the 16.5m-high hexagonal wooden structure houses 33 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Once inside you follow a fabulous, spiral, Escher-esque staircase that allows you to journey up and back down again without retracing your steps.
Sazae-dō
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
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Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions
0.28 MILES
At the foot of Iimori-yama, this museum tells the story of the dramatic suicides of the teenage samurai who died during the Bōshin civil war of 1868, and…
0.43 MILES
On the eastern edge of Aizu is Iimori-yama, the mountain where the White Tigers (Byakkotai) samurai killed themselves during the civil war of 1868. You…
2.15 MILES
This is a superb reconstruction of the yashiki (villa) of Saigō Tanomo, the Aizu clan’s chief retainer. Wander through the 38 rooms, which include a…
2.85 MILES
The towering 1965 reconstruction of Tsuruga-jō sits in sprawling grounds framed by the original moat and some ruins of the old castle walls. Inside is a…
5. Yamatogawa Sake Brewing Museum
10.89 MILES
Step into the Yamatogawa Sake Brewing Museum to peek inside a kura (mud-walled storehouse) that dates from 1790 and, until 20 years ago, functioned as a…
11.11 MILES
This collection of 10 kura (mud-walled storehouses) has been arranged as a small local museum, as well as the obligatory gift shop or two.
28.45 MILES
In the centre of Matsugasaki-kōen, surrounded by a koi-filled moat, this shrine sits on the land previously occupied by the inner castle during feudal…