Six-Sided Stone Pillar (Sekido)

Guardian Kings Carved in Green Schist

The Six-Sided Stone Pillar (Sekido) (石幢) is a Nanbokucho-period six-sided stone pillar held by Fusaiji in Shibasaki-cho, Tachikawa City, Tokyo, which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records one pillar, first designated under the old system in 1913.

Tachikawa City notes that the slab bearing Komokuten records its erection in 1361 by Shoryo, a disciple of the temple's founder, Motsugai.

The Pillar

According to Tachikawa City, six slabs of green schist carved with the two Nio guardians and the Four Heavenly Kings are set together as a hexagonal pillar under a hexagonal cap stone; it is known as the Rokumen Sekido. It stands 205 centimetres high, each slab about 42 centimetres wide.

Comparable pillars include the six-sided pillar of Daishoji in Ogawa and the hexagonal stupa at Yamane in Moroyama, both in Saitama.

What to Look For

Tachikawa City regards it as the representative stone pillar of Japan. Designated a National Treasure in 1913, it was designated again in 1953 under the post-war cultural properties system.

Look for the guardian deities carved in the schist and the inscription recording its dedication.

Visiting the Six-Sided Stone Pillar (Sekido)

Tachikawa City reports special openings in 2026 on 20 September and 3 November, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the new National Treasure repository at Fusaiji, free of charge; parking is very limited.

A replica is shown at the Tachikawa City History and Folklore Museum, open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Mondays and over the New Year, admission free. Enquiries: Tachikawa City cultural properties section, 042-525-0860.