Sazaedo

©AFLO

Aizu Sazaedo, constructed in 1796 on Mt. Iimori in Aizu-Wakamatsu City in Fukushima, is a hexagonal, three-story temple 16.5 meters tall. In the past, 33 Saigoku statues of Kannon (the goddess of mercy) lined the unique double helix sloped staircase, and pilgrims were considered to have completed the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage to 33 Buddhist temples once they had visited Sazaedo.
Further, due to the one-way structure of the temple, which was built with entirely different passages for ascending and descending, large numbers of pilgrims could safely visit without having to pass each other. The architectural style used here is rare worldwide, and Sazaedo's unique existence in architectural history has been acknowledged; it was designated Important Cultural Property in 1996.