Sazae Temple: A Unique Spiraling Wonder

Nestled on the hillside near Mount Iimori in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Sazae Temple, or officially Entsu Sansodo, presents a captivating architectural marvel. Constructed in 1796, this three-story hexagonal pagoda is celebrated for its unique double-helix wooden structure, a design resembling a turban shell (sazae in Japanese), which gives the temple its nickname. Inside, two separate spiral staircases ascend and descend without intersecting, embodying Buddhist concepts of duality and offering a symbolic journey of spiritual clarity. Originally, the temple housed 33 Kannon statues along its spiral path, allowing pilgrims to complete a condensed version of the traditional 33-temple Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage within a single structure. Today, the temple's interior is adorned with stickers from pilgrims who have visited. The temple's design is attributed to Ikudo, the head priest of the nearby Shosoji Temple, with some speculating inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci's double-helix staircase at the Château de Chambord. Sazae Temple stands as the only known example of a double-spiral rampway for climbing a building anywhere in the world. It is a designated National Important Cultural Property and a Japan Heritage site.