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Location: Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
Current status: Open now
Goshuin: Goshuin
Aizu Sazaedo is a unique wooden Buddhist temple in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, built in 1796. Its famous doublehelix spiral ramp lets visitors ascend and descend without crossing paths, making it one of Japan’s most distinctive historic religious structures.
Why you should go
- The double-helix ramp system means you'll ascend on one spiral path and descend on another without ever crossing paths with other visitors, so don't expect to retrace your steps or turn back once you start climbing.
- Aizu Sazae-do was built in 1796, making the structure more than 220 years old.
- While the original 33 Kannon statues that lined the spiral walkway were destroyed after the Meiji Revolution, replicas now occupy the alcoves, so you can still experience the symbolic one-stop pilgrimage that made this temple famous in 1796.
Address: Bentenshita-1404 Itsukimachi Ōaza Yahata, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-0003, JapanWebsitePhone: +81 242-22-3163
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