A postwar pagoda for the war dead
On a low rise at the north of the precinct stands the youngest of the eight registered structures, and the only one built after the war. The Heiwa no To, the Tower of Peace, was raised in 1958 to console the war dead and to pray for a lasting world peace. It takes the form of a tahoto, a two-storied pagoda with a square lower body and a rounded upper core, a type long associated with esoteric Buddhism.
The whole thing is built of keyaki, Japanese zelkova, a hard and handsome timber, and roofed in copper over about 17 square meters. That a temple famous for its eighteenth-century National Treasure should also keep a twentieth-century pagoda says something about how the precinct has kept growing.
Why a 1958 building was registered
The Tower of Peace joined the national register on 2 May 2017 alongside the older structures, on the shared criterion of contributing to the historic landscape. Registration does not require great age. What it recognizes here is a well-made building that has become part of the setting, and a good example of the commemorative pagodas built across Japan after 1945.
The detailing looks deliberately backward. The lower story uses simple bracket sets (degumi) with a double row of parallel rafters, while the upper story steps out on three-tiered brackets (mitesaki) with fan-arranged rafters, and touches such as the frog-leg struts carry an archaizing, revival character. It is a modern building speaking in an old language.
What to look for
Climb to the rise and see it against the sky. The contrast between the square lower story and the cylindrical core above is the defining feature of a tahoto, and the all-zelkova construction gives the wood a warm, close grain worth a look up close.
Read it as a memorial first. Built thirteen years after the war ended, it carries a plain intention (remembrance and peace) that its retrospective carving quietly frames.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kangiin Peace Tower
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- What is a tahoto?
- A tahoto is a two-storied pagoda with a square lower story and a rounded upper core, a form tied to esoteric Buddhism in Japan. This one is built entirely of zelkova wood.
- Why was it built?
- It was raised in 1958 to console those who died in the war and to pray for lasting world peace, one of many commemorative structures built in Japan in the postwar years.
- How can a building from 1958 be a cultural property?
- Registration recognizes buildings that contribute to a historic setting and are worth preserving, regardless of age. The tower is a fine, carefully built example of a postwar commemorative pagoda.
- Where is it in the grounds?
- It stands on a small rise at the north end of the precinct, set apart from the main line of the approach.
Basic Information
| Name | Heiwa no To (Tower of Peace), Kangi-in (歓喜院平和の塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1511 Menuma, Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registration date | May 2, 2017 |
| Registration no. | 11-0168 |
| Count | 1 structure |
| Period | 1958 (Showa 33) |
| Structure | Timber tahoto (two-storied pagoda), built entirely of keyaki (zelkova), copper roof; building area 17 m² |
| Owner | Kangi-in (religious corporation) |
| Access | About 30 min by bus from Kumagaya Station to Menuma Shoden-mae, then a short walk |
| Visiting | The precinct is open without charge; a viewing fee applies to the National Treasure Shoden hall |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Heiwa no To (Tower of Peace), Kangi-in
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011457
- Kumagaya City Web Museum — Kangi-in Shoden-do
- https://www.kumagaya-bunkazai.jp/museum/jousetu/syoudendou/about.htm
- Kumagaya Chamber of Commerce, Tourism — Menuma Shoden-zan
- https://kumagaya-syoukoukai.jp/%E8%A6%B3%E5%85%89%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1/%E5%A6%BB%E6%B2%BC%E8%81%96%E5%A4%A9%E5%B1%B1/
Last verified: 2026.07.02