Five-Storied Pagoda 五重塔

Official explanation

This five-storied pagoda is one of the most distinctive landmarks on Mt. Minobu. It was originally built in 1619 and once stood on the east side of Kuonji Temple. It was built by Jufukuin (1570–1631), the mother of Maeda Toshitsune, third lord of the Kaga domain (in present-day Ishikawa prefecture). At the time, this pagoda was the second tallest in Japan. It unfortunately burned down twice, once in 1829 and again in 1875.

During the Heisei era (1989–2019), the process began to rebuild the pagoda once again. Architects hoped to accurately replicate its original form. By studying its ruins, they determined the dimensions of the original. They also studied other pagodas in Japan that were built by the same original architect. In 2009, it was completed, and is now the fourth tallest pagoda in Japan, at a height of 39 meters. It is made from the wood of 400-year-old trees felled from forests on Mt. Minobu and is painted with red iron-oxide paint.

Read the full explanation

Pagodas are normally used to enshrine the ashes of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. This one is said to hold the ashes of Shakyamuni Buddha and also includes the Buddha statues of followers of Nichiren from all over the world.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.