I still remember when I was in middle school, my teacher said, 'I went to Sazae-do on my day off. It was an interesting building.'
As an adult, when I actually stepped into that building, I thought, 'Is this what my teacher was talking about...!' while picturing my teacher's face, and I experienced a strange sensation as if the world was warping.
The smell of old wood infused with history and the mysterious experience of losing your sense of balance as you walk.
This time, we will guide you into the deep mystery of the unique wooden architectural wonder "Sazae-do (official name: Kyushu Shosonji Entsu Sansodo)" located on Iimoriyama in Aizuwakamatsu, famous for the Byakkotai.
The Mobius strip? The mystery of the "double helix" that never crosses paths.
The biggest feature of Sazae-do is that it has a slope (corridor) shaped like a "double helix," similar to the structure of DNA.
As you spiral up the slope in a clockwise direction to reach the summit (Taiko Bridge), you will then descend another slope, creating a one-way structure where "those going up and those going down never cross paths even once on their way to the exit," much like an optical illusion or a Mobius strip.
Why was such a complex building constructed?
The "VR Pilgrimage Space" dreamed of by the common people of Edo
During the Edo period, there was a huge boom in Kannon pilgrimages among the common people, such as the "Thirty-three Kannon of Western Japan." However, traveling to faraway Western Japan was a time-consuming and financially challenging endeavor.
Thus, the monk Ikudo, who built this hall, came up with an idea. He arranged 33 Kannon statues along the slope, creating a system where simply walking around inside the hall would allow one to "gain the same merits as a pilgrimage."
[Global Mystery] Did Da Vinci's idea cross the sea?
There is a legend that the monk Ikudo conceived this double helix structure by "twisting two strips of paper together." However, on the other hand, a very romantic "global mystery" is also whispered.
In fact, at the center of the French World Heritage site "Château de Chambord," there is a double helix staircase that closely resembles this, and it is said that its designer was none other than Leonardo da Vinci.
During the Edo period, the lifting of the ban on Western books by Tokugawa Yoshimune (Kyōhō Reforms) led to the introduction of Western perspective and architectural illustrations from Nagasaki to Japan.
It is theorized that da Vinci's design philosophy was documented in European books, which crossed the sea to reach Dutch scholars in Akita, eventually leading to the design of Aizu's Sazae-do.
A miracle born from the fusion of genius da Vinci's intellect and the wooden craftsmanship of Aizu. Which romance do you believe in: the "paper twist theory" or the "da Vinci theory"?
[From a Folklore Perspective] A dragon soaring in the heavens or a snake god crawling on the ground?
Additionally, there is a highlight that always personally amazes me as a guide.
That is the "dragon carvings" that wrap around the entrance and pillars of the hall.
Generally, when thinking of dragons in shrines and temples, one imagines a sacred and noble figure (a mythical beast) flying in the sky. However, the dragon of Sazae-do has a different appearance. It feels like a primitive, writhing "snake" that crawls on the ground, exuding a more indigenous energy.
To an Academic Space that Sparks Intellectual Excitement
How was it?
It is not just a "strange-shaped old hall"; it is intertwined with the earnest prayers of the Edo common people, the latest Western architectural techniques that may have crossed the sea, and the deep-rooted folk beliefs of the region.
At "Tabinoito", we offer tours in an Academic style that allow you to unravel the beauty of architecture and the mysteries of history with your own eyes and experiences.
The unique scent emitted by wooden architecture and that strange slope that distorts your sense of balance.
Why not get lost with us in a different space where the mysteries of Da Vinci and the prayers of the Edo period intersect?
[Supplement: Trivia about "Sazae-do" across the country]
In fact, there are several halls of the style called "Sazae-do (Sansou-do)" from Kanto to Tohoku, some of which are referred to as "Japan's Three Great Sazae-do". However, the only one in the world with a complete "double helix structure (slope)" is the Sazae-do in Aizu.
|
Name |
Location |
Features |
|---|---|---|
|
Aizu Sazae-do |
Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
[Important Cultural Property] The only wooden double helix (slope) structure in Japan. |
|
Narushin-in Hyakutai Kannon-do |
Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture |
Established in memory of the Great Tenmei Famine. One of Japan's three major Sazae-dōs with a two-story exterior and three internal layers. |
|
Sōgen-ji Sazae-dō |
Ota City, Gunma Prefecture |
The largest in Japan with three internal layers. Also one of Japan's three major Sazae-dōs. |
|
Chōzen-ji Sanseidō |
Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
Three stories inside. There is a mechanism that collects offerings on the first floor. |
|
Dairyū-ji Rakan-dō |
Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture |
A luxurious plastered structure with an appearance reminiscent of Nagoya Castle's main keep. |
※ Additionally, there are Sanzō-dōs in places like Nishiarai Daishi in Tokyo. It's interesting to compare the Sazae-dōs and architectural structures from various regions.
