Prefectural Designated Important Cultural Properties and Buildings
Sakudari Kannon
shrines and temples
It was built in 830 by the monk Tokuichi, also known as “Headless Kannon.
It is a magnificent three-story pavilion constructed by cutting through a rock in the middle of the mountain, and a pathway of centuries-old pine trees leads to the hall, which resembles Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
Inside the Kannon Hall, the “Headless Kannon” is enshrined.
It is also said that Jomoku, a learned monk who contributed to the education and culture of the Aizu clan, lived here and became friends with Kagetsu.
It is the 21st bill place of Aizu 33 Kannon.
spot data
| Address | 1173 Higashidari Oishi, Hongo-cho, Onuma-gun, Fukushima Prefecture MAP red-labeled seal office |
|---|---|
| Contact us | Aizu Misato Town Tourist Association General Incorporated Association |
| TEL / FAX | TEL：0242-56-4882 / FAX：0242-56-4876 |
Highlights
cliff construction
Sakudari Kannon is one of only two cliff construction halls in the prefecture.
It is located on a mountain about 800 meters up the approach on the west side of the prefectural road in the Daimon community. It has a frontage and depth of 5 ken (3 stories), and is called “cliff construction” because it is built with the left half hanging over a rocky hill. According to a legend, the temple was built by Tokuichi Daishi in 830, and restored in 1356 by Tomita Shougen Sukeyoshi, a vassal of the Asina family.
Headless Kannon
The principal image is a stone statue of a hidden Buddha, which has been called the “Headless Kannon” since the period of the prolongation of the Edo period (923-930).
A man from Echigo (Niigata) was falsely accused of a crime and fled to this Kannon Hall to seek salvation, but was finally captured by his pursuers and beheaded. His pursuers brought the head back to Echigo and showed it to their master, who found it to be the stone head of Kannon.
The story goes that since then, this Kannon has been called the “Headless Kannon“.
What was Sakudari Kannon used for?
The original building was a nagatoko, an institution for the practice of Shugendo.
The building was built as an esoteric Buddhism dojo, as it is closely related to Shugendo in the Aizu region, including the Hagurosan, Iideyama, and Bandaisan faiths.
The building is characterized by the following features: (1) There is no entrance to the “structure” in the three-section hall.
The cliff construction of the hall, built on a rocky terrain, is based on the world view of Shugendo.
Red Seal Information
Sakudari Kannon entrance, about 100 meters down the village across the street.
You will see a signboard on the left that reads “Red Seal Station.
・Entrance to Sakudari Kannon
・Sakudari Kannon sign
・If you continue on through the village beyond the line of sight of the entrance Jizo-san.
・You will see a signboard on the left side of the building that reads “Red Seal Office“.
