（３１２） Ｃｈｏｚｅｎｊｉ Ｓａｎｓｅｉｄｏ
文字数 3,844文字
Dad heard that “Chozenji Sanseido (長禅寺三世堂)”, commonly known as “Sazaedo (さざえ堂)” in Toride City would be open to the public for the first time in four years, so we all visited it.
"Chozenji Sanseido (長禅寺三世堂)" is usually open to the public once a year on April 18, but due to the coronavirus, the opening has been postponed for the past three years.
Built in 1801, this building is also called “Hyaku Kannon Do (百観音堂)”. Excluding the eleven-faced Kannon, there are 33 Saigoku miniature temples (西国札所) enshrining 33 miniature Kannons on the 1st floor, 33 Bando miniature temples (坂東札所) enshrining 33 miniature Kannons on the 2nd floor, and Chichibu miniature temples (秩父札所) ensurining 34 miniature Kannons on the 3rd floor, totaling 100 Kannons are enshrined.
To my surprise, there is also a mechanism where the money offering placed in the offertory box of each floor gather on the first floor using connected tubes that act like a slide.
There is no parking lot at Chozenji Temple, so we used the parking lot of the former Toride-shuku Honjin Someno family residence(旧取手宿本陣染野家住宅), where many feudal lords and samurai, including successive lords of the Mito domain, used it for lodging and rest.
Since it was a rare opportunity, I also visited the Former Toride Honjin Someno Residence, which was built in 1795.
[Sazaedo]
Sazaedo (さざえ堂), or Sansodo (三匝堂), is a Buddhist temple with a turban-shell-shaped interior that was popular in the late Edo period. If you follow the spiral structure corridor in the hall along the route, you can make a pilgrimage to the arranged miniature 33 Kannons or 100 Kannons.
(A pilgrimage of 1,000 km can be completed by going around the 33 Saigoku Fudasho Kannons, which were created around 1211.
A pilgrimage of 1,300 km can be completed by going around the 33 Bando Fudasho Kannons, which was created around 1234.
A pilgrimage of 100 km can be completed by going around 34 Chichibu Fudasho Kannons, which was created around 1488.
If you add the distance of the above pilgrimages, these three pilgrimages will cover 2,400km.)
Sazaedo is a very eco-friendly facility, because instead of traveling 2,400km on foot to complete the same pilgrimages, people can see 100 Kannons here in one place.
There are more than 30 temples in Japan that have miniature Shikoku pilgrimages (mini pilgrims) in their precincts.
As of 2020, there is a smartphone app that allows you to make a virtual pilgrimage to the 88 temples of Shikoku.
Furthermore, a YouTube video of the virtual pilgrimage of Shikoku 88 temples will be released. It’s amazing, isn’t it?
You can check Aizu Sazaedo on the following YouTube uploaded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Japan Heritage: Sazaedo Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMKB84WBC4
① This is Chozenji Sanseido. You can see Giboshi on the roof.
② I’ve arrived at Sanseido.
③ This is a guide board that says 100 Kannon Grand Festival. This event is held for the first time in four years.
④ It is one of the 100 Kannons.
⑤ Dogs are not allowed in Sanseido, so I'll wait outside.
⑥ The azaleas are beautiful.
⑦ I’m taking a walk in the garden. I’m in front of the wash basin.
⑧ The words "once in a lifetime encounter" are carved on the stone. I may not be able to come here again.
⑨ There are a lot of “Hotei-sama”.
※"Hotei" is one of the Seven Lucky Gods. He is the god of happiness with a large exposed belly and happy, smiling face.
⑩ I am in front of the mountain gate. From now on, I will go to the former Toride Honjin Someno
family residence.
⑪ I’ve arrived at the Former Toride Honjin Someno Residence.
⑫ I am in the Someno residence. People are allowed inside the building, but dogs are not allowed.
⑬ This is the inside view of the Someno family residence.
⑭ I’m taking a rest in the garden of the Someno residence. The weather is getting bad, so I'm going home soon.
"Chozenji Sanseido (長禅寺三世堂)" is usually open to the public once a year on April 18, but due to the coronavirus, the opening has been postponed for the past three years.
Built in 1801, this building is also called “Hyaku Kannon Do (百観音堂)”. Excluding the eleven-faced Kannon, there are 33 Saigoku miniature temples (西国札所) enshrining 33 miniature Kannons on the 1st floor, 33 Bando miniature temples (坂東札所) enshrining 33 miniature Kannons on the 2nd floor, and Chichibu miniature temples (秩父札所) ensurining 34 miniature Kannons on the 3rd floor, totaling 100 Kannons are enshrined.
To my surprise, there is also a mechanism where the money offering placed in the offertory box of each floor gather on the first floor using connected tubes that act like a slide.
There is no parking lot at Chozenji Temple, so we used the parking lot of the former Toride-shuku Honjin Someno family residence(旧取手宿本陣染野家住宅), where many feudal lords and samurai, including successive lords of the Mito domain, used it for lodging and rest.
Since it was a rare opportunity, I also visited the Former Toride Honjin Someno Residence, which was built in 1795.
[Sazaedo]
Sazaedo (さざえ堂), or Sansodo (三匝堂), is a Buddhist temple with a turban-shell-shaped interior that was popular in the late Edo period. If you follow the spiral structure corridor in the hall along the route, you can make a pilgrimage to the arranged miniature 33 Kannons or 100 Kannons.
(A pilgrimage of 1,000 km can be completed by going around the 33 Saigoku Fudasho Kannons, which were created around 1211.
A pilgrimage of 1,300 km can be completed by going around the 33 Bando Fudasho Kannons, which was created around 1234.
A pilgrimage of 100 km can be completed by going around 34 Chichibu Fudasho Kannons, which was created around 1488.
If you add the distance of the above pilgrimages, these three pilgrimages will cover 2,400km.)
Sazaedo is a very eco-friendly facility, because instead of traveling 2,400km on foot to complete the same pilgrimages, people can see 100 Kannons here in one place.
There are more than 30 temples in Japan that have miniature Shikoku pilgrimages (mini pilgrims) in their precincts.
As of 2020, there is a smartphone app that allows you to make a virtual pilgrimage to the 88 temples of Shikoku.
Furthermore, a YouTube video of the virtual pilgrimage of Shikoku 88 temples will be released. It’s amazing, isn’t it?
You can check Aizu Sazaedo on the following YouTube uploaded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Japan Heritage: Sazaedo Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMKB84WBC4
① This is Chozenji Sanseido. You can see Giboshi on the roof.
② I’ve arrived at Sanseido.
③ This is a guide board that says 100 Kannon Grand Festival. This event is held for the first time in four years.
④ It is one of the 100 Kannons.
⑤ Dogs are not allowed in Sanseido, so I'll wait outside.
⑥ The azaleas are beautiful.
⑦ I’m taking a walk in the garden. I’m in front of the wash basin.
⑧ The words "once in a lifetime encounter" are carved on the stone. I may not be able to come here again.
⑨ There are a lot of “Hotei-sama”.
※"Hotei" is one of the Seven Lucky Gods. He is the god of happiness with a large exposed belly and happy, smiling face.
⑩ I am in front of the mountain gate. From now on, I will go to the former Toride Honjin Someno
family residence.
⑪ I’ve arrived at the Former Toride Honjin Someno Residence.
⑫ I am in the Someno residence. People are allowed inside the building, but dogs are not allowed.
⑬ This is the inside view of the Someno family residence.
⑭ I’m taking a rest in the garden of the Someno residence. The weather is getting bad, so I'm going home soon.
