A Kannon Hall of About 1388 in Southern Aizu
The Kannon Hall (観音堂) is a simple Buddhist hall, known as the Nakanozawa Kannondo, of around 1388 in Kannonmae, Shimogo Town, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 9, 1960 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records three bays square, single-storey, with a hipped roof of copper sheet in the form of thatch; designation number 01468.
An Old Hall Rare in Aizu
This Kannon hall in Shimogo Town is a simple hall built around 1388, three bays square with a hipped roof of copper sheet in the form of thatch (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is an old building of a kind rare in the Aizu region and well preserved. It is owned by the temple 旭田寺.
The Japan Tourism Agency introduces it as the Nakanozawa Kannondo, the eleventh stop on the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. It notes that an earlier hall is said to have been built in the Heian period by Tokuitsu, a noted monk of Aizu, and that the hall was later rebuilt on its present site. The grounds include a pond.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes that it is an old building of a kind rare in the Aizu region, and well preserved.
What to Look For
Look at the simple three-bay hall and its hipped copper roof shaped like thatch (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the temple 旭田寺 (Agency for Cultural Affairs) and is the eleventh stop on the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage (Japan Tourism Agency). No official information on visiting hours was found.
Q&A
- When was the hall built?
- Around 1388 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What else is it called?
- The Nakanozawa Kannondo (Japan Tourism Agency).
- What pilgrimage stop is it?
- The eleventh on the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage.
- Why is it valued?
- It is an old building of a kind rare in Aizu, and well preserved.
- When was the Kannon Hall designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On June 9, 1960 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kannon Hall (観音堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kannonmae, Shimogo Town, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1960/06/09 (Showa 35) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Three bays square, single-storey, hipped, copper roof in thatch form |
| Owner | 旭田寺 (temple; reading unconfirmed) |
| Public Access | No official information on visiting hours |
References
- Kannon Hall (Shimogo Town) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/211
- Nakanozawa Kannondo (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R3-00517.html
Last verified: 2026.10.23