Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda: The Look-Back Pagoda
The Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda (大法寺三重塔, Daihoji Sanjunoto) is a pagoda built in 1333 at Daihoji in Togo, Aoki Village, Chiisagata District, Nagano Prefecture, designated a National Treasure under the old system in 1899 and in 1953 designated a National Treasure.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda as three bays square and three storeys, roofed in cypress bark. Daihoji is a Tendai temple; its tradition holds that it was founded in the Taiho era (701 to 704) by Joe, son of Fujiwara no Kamatari.
Why It Was Designated
The Agency describes the pagoda as built in 1333 in a purely Japanese style, with a beautiful flame-shaped finial and a stable, balanced form. The polychrome inside has badly flaked, but the central altar mixes in Zen-style features, with fine cusped panels and distinctive railing posts.
It is popularly known as the "look-back pagoda", and the Agency ranks the Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda among the finest surviving pagodas in eastern Japan.
What to Look For
Take in the balanced taper of the three storeys and the flame-shaped ornament above the finial. The nickname is said to come from a beauty that makes visitors turn back for another look as they leave.
Besides the pagoda, the temple holds what it calls the oldest shachi roof ornament in Japan and an Eleven-headed Kannon said to be the oldest Buddhist image in eastern Nagano.
Visiting
According to Daihoji, it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April to October and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November to March. Admission is 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for children, with a special viewing of the shachi and Kannon for 700 yen. Telephone 0268-49-2256.
Q&A
- When was the Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda built?
- In 1333.
- Why is the Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda called the look-back pagoda?
- It is said to be so beautiful that visitors turn back to look at it again as they leave.
- When did the Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda become a National Treasure?
- It was listed under the old system in 1899 and designated a National Treasure in 1953.
- How much is admission?
- 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for children.
- What are its architectural features?
- A purely Japanese-style three-storey pagoda with a cypress-bark roof and a fine flame-shaped finial; the altar inside mixes in Zen-style details.
Basic Information
| Name | Daihoji Temple Three-Storey Pagoda (大法寺三重塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2052 Togo, Aoki Village, Chiisagata District, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (building) |
| Year Designated | National Treasure 1953/3/31 (Showa 28); old-system National Treasure 1899/4/5 (Meiji 32) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Three-bay, three-storey pagoda, cypress-bark roof |
| Owner | Daihoji |
| Public Access | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (4 p.m. in winter); adults 300 yen |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Daihoji Three-Storey Pagoda (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/979
- Cultural Heritage Online: Daihoji Three-Storey Pagoda (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/199909
- Daihoji: About the temple (Japanese)
- https://www.daihoujitemple.com/%E5%A4%A7%E6%B3%95%E5%AF%BA/
- Daihoji: Visitor information (Japanese)
- https://www.daihoujitemple.com/%E5%8F%82%E6%8B%9D%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85-%E5%95%8F%E5%90%88%E3%81%9B/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
