Original and Mysterious, Approaching the Mystery of the Aizu Sazae-do

The “Entsu Sansodo-Hall ” (designated as a National Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government) stands on a hillside in the middle of Mt. It is a hall of wooden architecture with a height of 16.5 m and a hexagonal three-layer structure that is familiar by the name of Aizu Sazae-do. In 1796, Shoso-ji Temple, which once stood at this location, built this hall as a Kannon Hall enshrining the 33 Kannon of the Saigoku Region. It is said that if one made a round of the temple, it was believed to be as beneficial as a pilgrimage to the western part of Japan.
The 33 sacred sites of the Kannon faith are scattered throughout the Kinki region and Gifu Prefecture. It is said to be the oldest pilgrimage in Japan, and it is believed that if one makes a pilgrimage to the 33 sacred sites of the Kannon in the western part of Japan, all sins committed in this life will be extinguished and he or she will be reborn in paradise.

Hidetoshi Nakata first visited Aizu Sazae-do about six years ago. He recalls that the unique architectural style and the timeless atmosphere left a strong impression on him.
The fact that you can see all parts of the building in one-way traffic is once again an amazing structure,” he said.
Masanori Iimori, the owner of Aizu Sazaedo, nods in agreement with Nakata’s words and explains how it came to be.

There are many Buddhist temples called “sazayedo,” and it is said that the first one was Rokanji Temple in Honjo-Gotsume, Edo (present-day Oshima, Koto-ku, Tokyo), in 1728. Since then, they were built mainly in the Kanto and northern areas during the late Edo period, but only a few of them are said to still exist. The hall is characterized by a spiral passageway that circles clockwise three times.
However, the architectural style of Aizu Sazae-do is very different from the others. The hexagonal exterior is unique, but what is most unusual is the double-helix passageway, which allows visitors going up and down the aisle to pass each other without passing each other. When Mr. Nakata was told that Aizu Sazaedo is the only building in Japan to use a double-helix structure, he raised a question.

Where did he get the idea for the structure of the Sazaedo?

Mr. Iimori, who prefaced his answer by saying that he did not know the exact source, shared two hypotheses.
For generations, the Iimori family has believed that the monk Ikudo, who invented the Aizu Sazaedo, was inspired by a dream he had of a double koyori. On the other hand, there is a theory that the double spiral staircase at Chambord Castle in France, which Leonardo da Vinci is said to have been involved in designing, was the inspiration.
The “Kyoho 5 (1720) ban on Western books was lifted, and the sketches of Chambord Castle that came to the Akita clan may have been seen by the monk Ikudo. Some experts have speculated that this is so.

After ascending the passageway in a rightward direction and crossing the drum bridge at the top, the flow of visitors turns to the left. When you pass through the exit, before you know it, you are behind the building. Mr. Iimori laughs as he observes visitors curiously twisting their necks, saying, “At first, everyone is puzzled. In the Edo period (1603-1867), when the entire area of Mt. Iimori was within the precincts of Shomune-ji Temple, Iimori was not only a place for people to rest and relax, but also an object of religious worship.
Iimoriyama is often associated with the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), but in fact, this site is also the remains of a posteriori burial mound built in the 4th century.
As the conversation turned to history, Mr. Nakata’s eyes lit up when he heard that there is also a wonderful historical site called Sakudari Kannon in the neighboring town of Aizu Misato. He does not seem to flinch when told that access is a bit inconvenient.
I often find more unexpected discoveries in places that are less accessible because I don’t usually go there,” he says. After all, the best part of traveling is discovering new things.

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Representing both wartime and peaceful times

Matsumoto Castle stood quietly in the darkness of the night. Head of the management office, Otake, greeted us. Matsumoto Castle was built in the 1590’s in the age of civil wars. Around 1630, feudal lord Naomasa Tokunaga built ”Tsukimi Yagura (moon viewing tower)” to welcome Shogun Iemitsu Tokunaga. ”The two buildings that were built at a very contradictory era stand side by side, reflecting the era each was built”. Matsumoto Castle has small window-like openings for guns and spears, and ”ishi otoshi” to drop stones at the enemy during time of war.

Admiring the castle at moon viewing feast

It was the ”chushu no meigetsu (mid-autumn moon)” when we visited. As in the Edo era, people gathered for the special festival, admiring the castle while listening to the performance of traditional Japanese instruments. ”Chushin Sankyou Corporation” group gave special performance from ”Tsukimi Yagura” just like the old days. The sound of ”koto” and ”shakuhachi” echoed in the air, and Nakata commented, ”it feels refined and luxurious” as he enjoyed the evening scenery with music.

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Lost during WW2, restoration in progress

Shurijo Castle conveys the brilliant culture of the dynasty as the Shuri Royal Government office. It is estimated to have been built in the late 14th century, but much of it was destroyed in the Pacific War. A full-fledged recovery project has been conducted since the late 1980s, and the restoration and repair work is still underway today. ”Because there was a headquarter of the Japanese army in the vicinity, nothing was left. Restoration is done by analyzing old material,” said Jun Koki, curator of Okinawa Churashima Foundation Shuri Castle Park Management Unit. On the day of Nakata’s visit, the repair work of ”Kofukumon Gate” was under way. The gate is also known as ”Nagaujo”, and the building itself has the function of a gate. For the outside wall, they kept the old original materials, and re-painted them with paints using only natural materials.

Bright vermilion that matches the sun

Some things survived the war. ”The spring water fountain in the shape of dragon sculpture was brought from China in 1523, over 500 years ago. It was damaged by the war, but it is pretty much what it used to be originally,” explained Koki. Nakata replied, ”I’ve never heard stories about the war period. It taught me an important lesson.”
Then, we were shown the restoration process of ”hengaku”, the frame which is used in high places such as gates of houses and shrines. It is a project where lacquerware craftsmen from Okinawa gathered and spent over 10 years. The color of lacquer differs a little from Japan’s mainland, and Okinawa people found beauty in the bold color that is just as bright as the sun. Nakata commented, ”I’m sure the influence of climate is significant.”

From Houshinmon gate to Shurijo Castle main palace

We headed from Houshinmon to the main palace. They found an old picture of Houshinmon a few years ago, and discovered that there were two stone lions placed in front of the gate. Now the lions are set up accordingly. Once inside, visitors are welcomed by the view of the ”Una”, which is an open garden space with red lines made of tiles on the ground, and the main palace with overwhelming powerfulness. At ”Una”, many annual events took place, and people lined up according to their status. The red lines served as the guide for them to line up. In front of the main palace Nakata said, ”Perhaps a castle is a place where the culture of the land is condensed.”

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Experience high quality performance art at “Yachiyoza”

”Yachiyoza” was built in 1910 by business people living in Yamaga called ”danna-shu (gentlemen).” The building conveys the traditional style of playhouses from the Edo era.
Many famous artists came from all over Japan to perform at ”Yachiyoza” which was the focal point for people to enjoy high quality performance art such as ”kabuki” and ”shingeki”. In 1988, it was designated as a National Important Cultural Property, and came to be known across the country.

Traditional building with attractive design

There is a ”hanamichi” walkway on the left. The ”masuseki” located in the middle is a tatami box seat for eight people where patrons sit on cushions. The wooden partitions are called ”ayumi-ita” and vendors walked on it selling ”sake”. ”Sajikiseki” is on the right. There are very few columns so as not to block the view to the stage.
A variety of pictures adorn the ceiling, but they are all ads. The colorful ads on the ceiling were reproduced based on dozens of original drawings that were found at the time of reconstruction. Every effort was made to restore the original ambience when repairs were being made. The ads in the ceiling advertising are also based on original drawings.

Overcoming crisis

At that time, Yachiyoza was a symbol of wealth and used classic Edo era styles. However, during its history of over 100 years there were times when it faced the possibility of closure. In the 1940’s, different forms of entertainment appeared such as movies and television, and Yachiyoza fell behind the trends.
”For a period of time, Yachiyoza was closed down due to a lack of patrons. Yachiyoza fell into ruin with holes in the roof, but members of a local senior citizen’s group who used to frequent Yachiyoza as children, collected funds to repair the roof. This activity caught the attention of young people who supported their efforts.” We were told by one of the playhouse staff.
Thanks to their efforts, it was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1988. There used to be 6,000 to 7,000 playhouses in Japan at one time, but there are only 20 remaining. Yachiyoza is one of the few that have survived.
”Chiyo ni Yachiyo ni.” It is our hope that the wishes of the local people can be continued for 1000 years and 8000 years.

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Bukeyashiki street of Edo period

”Bukemachi Kakunodate,” is currently designated as Japan’s Traditional Preservation District. In the beginning of the Edo period in 1620, the Ashina clan conducted a large scale infrastructure improvement plan, and transferred the castle town entirely to this spot. Later, the town prospered under the reign of Northern house Satake clan. The current ”bukemachi” is the town that housed high, middle and central samurai. At present, 6 manors are open for exhibition. Renovated manors in the town make you feel as though you have warped in time. A tourist attraction visited by many, you can also see weeping cherry trees.

Built Especially for Samurai, Especially in the Snowy Region

We went on a tour viewing the Buke samurai manors. You first notice the thatched roofs. Because it is a heavy snow region, the roofs of the buke manors have thatched roofs, as tile roofs will not endure the weight of the snow. Standard onigawara are replaced by wooden ones. Another characteristic is the complex design of the houses, which starts from the entrance. The reason behind this is to prevent enemies barging in all at once during an attack. Indeed, if the houses were simple, it would make it easy for the enemies. With this complicated design, enemies will not be able to file in. Impressive.

Ambience Created by the Trees

Another characteristic is that all of the manors have a garden. You may think this is natural, being manors of high-ranking samurai, but this is not the case. The reason all the manors have gardens is because they needed a meeting place for people that were not invited inside the house. Therefore, the gardens all faced the common room. Convincing.
In addition to the weeping cherry trees mentioned earlier, there were many manors with oak trees in their gardens as well. Oak is said to be a symbol of prosperity of the house, and considered very important. Also seen were large fir trees, adding groves of green by the Japanese style buke manors, which stood with dignity. The green of the thicket is glittering to the eyes. When nonchalantly taking a stroll, you may feel the soft breeze from the Edo period whistle by.

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A helix shaped hall

216 years ago in 1796, Aizu Sazaedo was built on Mount Iimori in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. The official name is Entsusansoudo, and was designed by a monk named Ikudo, who was the chief priest at Shosoji temple in Mount Iimori. Western Thirty Three Kannon statues are enshrined at Aizu Sazaedo, and the hall was built for people to worship the Thirty Three Kannons when they are not able to visit the Kannon statue in western Japan.
The building is a wooden, double helix structure, something that is not found anywhere else in the world. There are no stairs. You reach the top by walking along the wooden corridor. You take a different corridor to get back to the ground level. What’s interesting is that there are separate corridors for going up and coming down. This type of structure is called a double helix. This took Nakata by surprise. The double helix allows visitors to worship safely without passing each other.

Was the double helix idea inspired by Da Vinci!?

Who thought of this structure, double helix? It was a question that came to mind as Nakata stepped into the hall. Masanori Iimori the owner who showed us around, told us about how Leonardo Da Vinci had already built a staircase with the same configuration.

What was more surprising was that there was a theory that the idea for Aizu Sazaedo might have actually come from a drawing by Da Vinci. It is said that the architect might have seen a sketch owned by an Aizu clan lord.

In addition, according to a story that has been passed on in Iimori’s family, a dream of making a ”koyori” with two strings may have been an inspiration. The truth is not known, but either way, there are no other examples of this structure in the world. In 1996, the building was designated as the country’s Important Cultural Property.

Mount Iimori, the land where Byakkotai committed suicide.

Aizu Sazaedo is located in Mount Iimori. Originally, all of Mount Iimori used to be the property of Aizu Sazaedo. Mount Iimori is known to many as the location where ”Byakkotai” commited suicide. As we were guided through Mount Iimori, we heard the story about the ”Byakkotai”.
During Boshin War, the Aizu clan fought with government forces. As the number of Aizu clan soldiers decreased, young boys were recruited to fight as well. The government forces had state-of-the-art facilities. The young boys who were able to escape the attacks by fleeing to Mount Iimori were able to see Wakamatsu castle (Tsuruga castle) from the top of the mountain. They saw that the castle was engulfed in flames. The young boys discussed their options. They could fight and die, return to the burning castle, or commit suicide and share the fate of their lord. They chose suicide.
”20 were able to flee from the battle, and 19 died. The one survivor told the tale.” We listened intently to Iimori, who spoke quietly.
At Mount Iimori, there was a memorial for the ”Byakkotai” soldiers who committed suicide. Presently, you have a view of the peaceful and soothing landscape from Mount Iimori. One cannot help wondering what the soldiers had seen.

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Taking a break on the historic streets

This is an old post station in Shimogo Town, Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture. Ouchijuku has thatched roof buildings lined up on both sides of the town’s main street, Kyukaido. It is a major tourist destination with one million visitors annually.
Ouchijuku opened as a post town of Aizu West Road in Edo period. At one time, the town flourished enough to have ”Sankin Kotai”, the bi-annual passage of the feudal lords, but by the end of the Edo period, half of the citizens were farmers, while the other half operated inns. At the start of the Meiji era, modifications were made to the roads with a new road being built that no longer passed through Ouchijuku. As a result, the town lost the bustle as a post town, and became a true farming village.

Preserving the thatched roof houses.

With the arrival of the Showa era, the town became modernized with electric poles and asphalt roads. But after the 1980s, what remained of the old town came to be valued. It was designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and preservation efforts began in earnest. That is why Ouchijuku is preserved so beautifully in the present.
However, the preservation and maintenance of the thatched roofs requires time, labor and money. Yet still, people are eager to preserve this landscape, and continue their preservation efforts. There are training sessions held every Wednesday about the thatched roof, the symbol of Ouchijuku.
”One must recognize the need to conserve techniques, otherwise, they will be forgotten. And that must be done by the town’s citizens.” said Kazue Sato from Ouchijuku Tourist Association.

Enjoy the relaxing country

Nakata visited in the morning, so there were few tourists, but there were people making dumplings and others frying rice cakes. You could feel the lives of the people. We strolled around Ouchijuku town, bought rice cakes and ate them. Time passed slowly here.

Eat the famous “Negi Soba”

One of the famous food from Ouchijuku is ”soba”, or buckwheat noodle. It is known by the name of Koen soba. The noodle is made from 100% buckwheat, and you use green onions instead of chopsticks to eat it. They brought the famous Koen soba from the back of the store. A stick of green onion is placed on top of the bowl with the soba noodles. Our group took a look at it and exclaimed out loud with someone commenting ”But it looks difficult to eat.” The server said ”That’s right, it’s difficult to eat!” and served the bowl with a huge smile on his face.
Our laughter echoed for long time, and time passed slowly and peacefully.

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The Beginning and End of the Edo Period

When we hear the word ”Nijo Castle” many may instantly think of ”Taiseihokan”. Indeed at the last days of the of the Edo period, the last Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa proclaimed the Taiseihokan at the Ninomaru Palace of the Nijo castle. . This triggered the demise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, so you may say this is the place where one era was terminated. However, it is also where Edo period was given birth. Nijo Castle was created in 1603 by orders of Ieyasu Tokugawa who had proclaimed victory at the battle of Sekigahara.

Architecture that Gathered Essence of Beauty

In that same year Ieyasu was designated ”Seitaishogun honin”, and had paid respects to the imperial court at the palace, as was the custom since the Muromachi period. Later he was officially designated as ”Shogun” and that was the full-scale start up of the Edo period. Nijo Castle is attributed as treasured asset culturally and artistically, designated with UNESCO World Heritage as Cultural asset to old capital Kyoto, the Ninomaru Palace designated National Treasure, the Ninomaru Palace Gardens designated as Special Scenic Spot of the Nation. The palace was witness to both the beginning and end of the Edo period.

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Discovery of a Historic Site

”Heijokyu” refers to the center of the Heijo palace, where the center of administration was. The palace was divided into 2 sectors; one where the emperor lived and the other sector for administration, where rituals and politics were conducted. The palace is 1300 years old, but this site was not designated as the palace remnnants until the Taisho period.
In 794 the capital was moved to Heian, and the Heijo palace was left to its ruin. The building was eventually demolished and the land was used for agriculture. Over time, it was forgotten and literally was buried under the ground.
Time moved on and in 1850, towards the end of the Edo period, an official employed under the government conducted research and claimed that under the farmlands was the remnants of the Heijo palace. In the Meiji period, preservation acts progressed and finally in the year Taisho 11 (1922) it was recognized as one of the country’s historic sites.

Restoration and Excavation in Progress

Official excavation was commenced only after the war and is still under way. Many ruins with historical worth are still being discovered.
Simultaneously, restoration of the Heijo palace is taking place. In 1998, the Suzaku Gate, which is said to be the entrance to the palace, was restored. Later, in 2010 on the 1300 year commemoration of the transfer of the capital to Heian, the former Imperial Audience Hall was completed.
In 1998 the remnants of Heijo palace was designated World Cultural Heritage along with Todaiji as ”the Cultural Asset of Ancient Capital, Nara”. The Suzaku Gate is lit up at night. The vermillion gate lit up in the darkness sets out a mystical atmosphere making your mind wander off thinking about ancient Nara.

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The castle situated at a key location in Sanyo

There are four castles that are designated as National Treasures: Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, Hikone Castle in Shiga, Inuyama Castle in Aichi, and Himeji Castle here in Hyogo. Himeji Castle was constructed in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts in the 14th century, and not during the Period of the Warring States.
The beginning of the castle is believed to be a fort that Norimura Akamatsu built on Mt. Hime while advancing his troops to Kyoto under the order of Prince Moriyoshi in 1333.

Located on Sanyo-do Road, Himeji Castle played a major role as an important base for the states in western Japan throughout the Muromachi Period, Period of the Warring States, and the Edo Periods. During the Period of the Warring States, Hideyoshi Hashiba (Toyotomi) lived in the castle to conquer the Chugoku region. In Edo Period, many hereditary ”daimyos” stayed there as domain administrative headquarters of Himeji Domain, such as the Ikedas and the Hondas.

Registered as a World Heritage site

Himeji Castle is also called Shirasagi-jo (meaning ”white egret castle”) because of its appearance of having white-painted walls that look like a flying egret. The current appearance was completed soon after the Tokugawa Shogunate was set up. Terumasa Ikeda drastically refurbished Himeji Castle after being allowed to move into the castle in return for his contribution in the Battle of Sekigahara. There are only 12 castles that still keep the castle tower constructed in Edo Period.
Himeji Castle is one of the precious castles that preserves the original castle tower while having never been involved in large-scale battles. It was bombed during World War II, but miraculously the incendiary bombs failed to explode.

Himeji Castle currently welcomes a large number of domestic and international visitors, having been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle overlooks the world of today while maintaining the same appearance since the Edo Period. The sight of the beautiful figure against a backdrop of wide open blue sky is breathtaking.

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