Seitenkyū, Taoist temple in Sakado, Japan.
Seitenkyū is a Taoist temple in Sakado in Japan, set among low warehouses and residential streets. The entrance is framed by two stone pillars that rise about 5 meters (16 feet), while the interior ceiling is made from thousands of colored glass pieces.
A Taiwanese businessman named Kang Kuo Den started building in 1981 and finished the structure in 1995. The site grew from a private project into an open religious space for visitors and worshippers.
The site required negotiations with eight individual farmers before construction could begin. Completion took fourteen years, with materials and craftsmen brought from Taiwan to create a traditional East Asian religious structure.
The temple sits about a thirty-minute walk from Wakaba Station on the Tobu Tojo Line, with bus options that shorten the journey. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the grounds include several pavilions and paved pathways.
A bell and drum sound daily at three in the afternoon from two towers, their tones echoing across the surrounding industrial area. The roofs carry yellow tiles, a color rarely used for religious buildings in Japan.
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