A Pagoda Moved to Azuchi Castle
The Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda (捴見寺三重塔) is the three-storied pagoda of Sokenji, standing halfway up Mount Azuchi within the Special Historic Site of Azuchi Castle at Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, dated by its ridge tag to 1454 in the Muromachi period, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on March 27, 1901 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Sokenji).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a three-bay, three-storied pagoda with a tiled roof, owned by Sokenji.
The Pagoda Nobunaga Moved
According to Sokenji, the temple belongs to the Myoshinji branch of Rinzai Zen. When Oda Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle in 1576, he moved it here from elsewhere as his family temple. A fire in 1854 destroyed the main hall and other buildings, whose foundation stones remain north of the pagoda; a temporary main hall was built in 1932 on the site traditionally said to be Tokugawa Ieyasu's residence.
The temple says that Nobunaga moved the Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda from Chojuji in Koka around 1575 or 1576. Ink inscriptions on the ridge tag record its building in 1454 and a repair in 1555.
Value as an Important Cultural Property
The Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1901. Its mid-Muromachi building date is known from its ridge tag, and its history of being moved by Nobunaga when he built Azuchi Castle keeps the memory of the Warring States period alive on the mountain (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Sokenji).
What to Look For
According to Sokenji, the Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda is three bays square in three storeys with a tiled roof, standing halfway up Mount Azuchi. Damaged by a typhoon in 2017, it was repaired under a protective roof through the autumn of 2018.
The two-storey Niomon gate of 1571 also survives in the temple grounds and is likewise an Important Cultural Property (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to Sokenji and the Azuchiyama Preservation Society, the castle site is open every day from 8:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00, varying by season). Admission is 700 yen for adults and 200 yen for high school students and younger. Paths are steep and rough, and a visit takes 45 to 90 minutes.
The Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda is reached by stone steps from the castle site entrance, about 20 minutes on foot from JR Azuchi Station on the Biwako Line. There is free parking below the castle site. Enquiries go to Sokenji and the Azuchiyama Preservation Society (0748-46-6594).
Q&A
- When was the pagoda built?
- In 1454, according to its ridge tag (Sokenji).
- Why is it at Azuchi Castle?
- Oda Nobunaga is said to have moved it from Chojuji in Koka around 1575 or 1576 (Sokenji).
- What is Sokenji?
- A Rinzai Zen temple that Nobunaga moved to Azuchi Castle as his family temple (Sokenji).
- Has it been repaired recently?
- Yes, after typhoon damage in 2017 it was repaired through the autumn of 2018 (Sokenji).
- When was the Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda designated?
- On March 27, 1901.
Basic Information
| Name | Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda (捴見寺三重塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimotoyoura, Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture (within Azuchi Castle site) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1901/03/27 (Meiji 34) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Three-bay, three-storied pagoda, tiled roof |
| Owner | Sokenji |
| Public Access | Paid admission to the castle site, 700 yen for adults |
References
- Sokenji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1472
- Sokenji Temple Niomon Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1473
- Three-Storied Pagoda (Sokenji)
- https://www.azuchi-nobunaga.com/archives/116
- Sokenji (Sokenji)
- https://www.azuchi-nobunaga.com/temple
- Visitor Information (Sokenji and Azuchiyama Preservation Society)
- https://www.azuchi-nobunaga.com/guide
Last verified: 2026.10.11