A Buddhist temple which was Constructed in 1796 entirely from wood, Sazaedo has a double-helix structure, meaning that those who enter Sazaedo will leave the temple without encountering anybody traveling in the opposite direction. The one-way route of Sazaedo was introduced to avoid worshippers being disturbed during prayer.

It had never been rebuilt, or was there any major reconstruction that took place over all these years made it really special and historical. Sazaedo is the only wooden building with double helix structure in the world. Although it may be a little different from the style of tourism we have today, visitors have been coming to Sazaedo since the Edo period (1603-1867) to pray at the 33 kannon statues.

As proof of their visit, visitors would stick their own personal label on the walls or ceiling of the temple. This label would usually have the visitor’s family name imprinted on it in beautiful calligraphy. This is the Edo period equivalent of writing ‘Emily woz ere 03/01/2004’.

The tradition of leaving proof of your visit is still carried out today, although nowadays the religious labels are made from slightly stronger paper than their Edo period equivalents. The manager of Sazaedo urges tourists not to write their names on the walls though, as this may lead to them having to paint over the original wooden panels, undeniably damaging the charm of Sazaedo.

Unlike many sightseeing spots in Japan, visitors can experience traditional Japanese history and culture without the need to understand any Japanese at all. Exploring the building in itself is really fun and can be enjoyed by all ages. That being said, Sazaedo can be appreciated on a number of levels.