Chichibu Fudasho No.29 Chosen-in Temple
The temple is also called Sekisatsu-do Hall, because one of the Thirteen Sacred Figures who founded the Chichibu Pilgrimage in 1234 dedicated a sekisatsu, a type of stone tablet here. It is carved with the words “Sekisatsu Teichi Junrei” and is enshrined as a temple treasure in front of the principal statue.
The ceiling looks as if it is covered with votive name slips, left by visitors in the past to mark their visit, but the characters are actually carved into the wood and coated in black lacquer.
A 130-year-old weeping cherry tree stands behind the stone monument on the left of the approach. It once stopped flowering but later revived, so it is called the “Revived Cherry Tree.”
Chichibu Fudasho No.29 Chosen-in Temple
- Japanese / English notation
- 笹戸山 長泉院(ささどさん ちょうせんいん)/ Sasato-San Chosen-in Temple
- Location
- 〒369-1802 Arakawa,kamitano557,chichibu-shi,Saitama
- School
- Soto Zen School
- Principal Image
- Sho Kannon (Sacred Kannon)
- Tagline
- A Temple Where Seasonal Flowers and Zen Garden Enrich the Heart
- Blessings
- Wish Fulfillment
- Happiness and Virtue
- Good Fortune and Prosperity
- Highlights
- Karesansui Garden: This is a Zen garden that represents mountains and rivers without using water.
- Cherry Blossom Painting: This is inside the Kannon Hall and was created in 1811 by Katsushika Hokusai, an artist famous for ukiyo-e, traditional woodblock prints.
- Miracles of Kannon at This Temple
- A Dragon Maiden
Around the year 720, a dragon girl appeared almost every night in a pond at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by a mysterious glow. The villagers were curious about this strange phenomenon.
One day, about ten traveling monks visited the village. With the villagers’ directions, they made their way through the bamboo at the entrance of a rocky cave and found a Kannon statue quietly enshrined inside.
Following the monks’ guidance, the villagers built a hall here to honor the Kannon statue.
- Nearest station
- 20-minutes walk from Chichibu Railway Urayamaguchi Station.









