At Menuma Shodenzan: Peace Pagoda
The Kangiin Peace Pagoda (歓喜院平和の塔) is a timber tahoto pagoda erected in 1958 at Menuma Shodenzan Kangiin Temple in Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 May 2017.
The Kangiin Peace Pagoda stands on a rise in the northern part of the precinct. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a timber tahoto pagoda, copper roof, building area 17 square meters.
It was built to console the spirits of the war dead and to pray for lasting world peace, a Tahōtō pagoda built entirely of zelkova.
Why It Was Registered
The Kangiin Peace Pagoda carries registration number 11-0168 and was registered on the same day as the other eight structures in the precinct, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a good example of a memorial tahoto of the post-war years. A timber pagoda built after the Second World War keeps to traditional bracketing and eaves, and that is the core of its value.
What to Look For
Different Brackets Above and Below
The lower roof rests on one-step demigumi brackets with closely spaced parallel rafters in two tiers; the upper roof on three-step mitesaki brackets with fan rafters in two tiers. The two levels use different systems.
Revivalist Details
Details such as the frog-leg struts follow older models, a mid-Showa building deliberately looking back to earlier periods.
Visiting
The Kangiin Peace Pagoda stands on a rise in the north of the precinct and can be seen from outside; the precinct is always open and free. No opening of the interior is announced.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kangiin Peace Pagoda
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Kangiin Peace Pagoda?
- The Kangiin Peace Pagoda stands on a rise in the north of the precinct and can be seen from outside; the precinct is always open and free. No opening of the interior is announced.
- When was the Kangiin Peace Pagoda built and registered?
- A timber tahoto pagoda erected in 1958, registered on 2 May 2017 as number 11-0168.
- How is the Kangiin Peace Pagoda built?
- Timber tahoto pagoda, copper roof, building area 17 square meters.
- Why was the Kangiin Peace Pagoda built?
- To console the spirits of the war dead and to pray for lasting world peace.
- What are the structural features of the Kangiin Peace Pagoda?
- An all-zelkova tahoto with demigumi brackets and parallel rafters below, and three-step brackets with fan rafters above.
Basic Information
| Name | Kangiin Peace Pagoda (歓喜院平和の塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1511 Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber tahoto pagoda, copper roof, building area 17 square meters |
| Owner | Kangiin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Precinct always open and free (exterior viewing) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kangiin Peace Pagoda (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011457
- Cultural Heritage Online, Kangiin Peace Pagoda (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/289343
- Tourism Resources of Kumagaya (Saitama Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/soshiki/b0110/hokubutiikinogaiyou/gunmadc-kankousozai-kumagaya.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
