Kuonji Temple Five-story Pagoda

Kuonji Temple’s majestic pagoda, standing 39 meters tall, is the fourth highest five-story wooden pagoda in Japan. Originally built in the early Edo period (1603-1868), it was razed by an accidental fire in 1875.

The present-day pagoda dates to 2009, when this faithful recreation of the original construction was completed. Working to plans held by the temple for centuries, the pagoda was rebuilt using a combination of modern construction methods and the techniques originally employed four centuries ago.

Locally sourced, all-natural materials are used in this incarnation of the pagoda, right down to the foundation stones made with granite from the Omu River in the city of Hokuto, northern Yamanashi Prefecture. The pagoda’s core pillars use timber cut from cypress, cedar, pine, and zelkova trees grown on Mount Minobu itself.

The five-story pagoda, together with 18 other structures within Kuonji, was in 2018 designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.