Seitenkyū
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Seitenkyū (; ) is a Taiwanese style
Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
temple located in Sakado, Saitama,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Taoist gods including
Three Pure Ones The Three Pure Ones, also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure m ...
are worshipped. Its official name is 五千頭の龍が昇る聖天宮(
Hiragana is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' means "common" or "plain" kana (originally also "easy", ...
: ごせんとうのりゅうがのぼるせいてんきゅう), meaning the Holy Celestial Palace of 5000 Soaring Dragons. Seitenkyū was built with private funds as a memorial to a Taiwanese individual who was cured of a serious illness. The temple was opened in 1995. it is one of the largest Taoist buildings in Japan. Seitenkyū is open to the public for tours and worship, and most of the visitors are Japanese tourists. The vast grounds of about 26,000 square meters are used for various local events, such as
tai chi is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...
competitions. The distinctive architecture and spacious grounds are also popular as a filming location for various TV programs and as a photo spot for
cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
ers.


History

Seitenkyū was built by Taiwanese trader 康國典(ja:こうこくてん/koh kokuten、zh:kang Kuo-Den) to commemorate his recovery from a serious illness. The background of the construction of seitenkyu is as follows, according to multiple newspaper interviews with koh's son 4]. Born in the 1920s in Banqiao District, Banqiao,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, Koh made his fortune in business with mainland China. In his mid-40s, Koh suffered a serious pancreas-related illness, but after a seven-year battle with the disease, he was completely cured through a wish at Taipei's Si-Nan Temple, which is dedicated to Three Pure Ones, and decided to build a palace to thank God and to allow others to enjoy His blessings as well. In Taiwan, it is customary to build a temple (a small Taoist institution) to show gratitude when a blessing is bestowed. Koh initially intended to build a palace in Taiwan, but was given a divine oracle that he should build it in Sakado, Japan. The prophecy specifically told him the name of the place to be built, the name "Seitenkyū " the shape of the temple, and the direction of the building. At the time, kou had no connection to Sakado. At the time when the construction began, the area in Sakado was a wooded area and mulberry fields, and there was no
Wakaba Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Sakado, Saitama, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tōbu Railway. Lines Wakaba Station is served by the Tōbu Tōjō Line from in Tokyo. Located between and , it is 38.9&nbs ...
nearby, nor was there a public road in front of the temple, only a farm road. As for the building fund, it is said that after Kou began building, Taiwanese and Japanese sponsored the construction. Seitenkyū was established as a
religious corporation A religious corporation is a type of religious non-profit organization, which has been incorporated under the law. Often these types of corporations are recognized under the law on a subnational level, for instance by a state or province governm ...
in 1980 Construction of the temple began in 1981 (Showa 56), and after 15 years of work, the temple was opened in 1995 (Heisei 7). File:Sakado seitenkyu dragondance.jpg,
dragon dance Dragon dance () is a form of traditional dance and performance in China, Chinese culture of China, culture. Like the lion dance, it is most often seen during festive celebrations. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who man ...
File:Sakado seitenkyu kidsdance.jpg, kids dance File:Sakado seitenkyu dragon taiko yosakoi.jpg, YOSAKOI File:Sakado seitenkyu yosakoi flag.jpg, YOSAKOI File:Seitenkyu takiage.jpg, alt= File:Seitenkyu taikyokuken.jpg, alt=


Features

It took 15 years to build this temple. The temple has been built with yellow roof tiles which are exclusively used only for building temples and for housing Emperors. The ceiling in the temple is made of glass of ten thousand pieces. One stone pillar in particular which is 5 m tall is carved from a single piece and the door is 4 m wide. Three Taoist Deities (
Three Pure Ones The Three Pure Ones, also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure m ...
, Sānqīng Dàozǔ, the Taoist Triad) are worshipped in the temple. The main hall in the temple is built without any nails and has numerous impressive sculptures. Carvings on the stone pillars of five meters height are elaborate and called the Yin "Sōryū pillars". A drum tower to the left of the temple was added later, which offers views of the surroundings. File:Sakado seitenkyu nakaniwa.jpg, alt= File:Sakado seitenkyu yane.jpg, alt= File:Sakado Seitenkyu Wohnung des Priesters 3.jpg, alt= File:Sakado Seitenkyu Innenhof 2.jpg, alt= File:Sakado seitenkyu sansei.jpg, alt= File:Sakado Seitenkyu Hoftor Vogel 2.jpg, alt=


Worship

Prayers are offered daily at the temple with incense burning. The shape and colour of incense smoke are closely observed as it portends significant omens; formations of "Dragon" "Women", "Phoenix" are said to augur well for the devotee offering prayers. Devotees also offer prayers with talismans in different temples of the temple complex, depending on their year of birth, of specific colour seeking fulfillment of their desires.


Location Filming

Because of its unique scenery, Seitengu is often used as a location for filming TV dramas, music videos, and cosplayers. Seitengu temple states that "permission is required for any filming or coverage that exceeds the scope of personal viewing. The following is a partial list of films taken at Seitenkyū.


TVdrama


Cosplay

Seitenkyū is also a popular place for cosplayers to take pictures. According to a report by the
Tokyo Shimbun is a Japanese newspaper published by The Chunichi Shimbun Company. The group publishes newspapers under the brand name of The Tokyo Shimbun in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and under The Chunichi Shimbun in the Nagoya Metropolitan Area. The grou ...
, cosplayers began to visit around 2007, and in 2012, a total of about 500 people visited the temple for the purpose of cosplay .聖地巡礼<2>聖天宮 坂戸市『 東京新聞』朝刊2013年1月3日(埼玉) In response to the recent increase in the number of cosplayers, the Seitenkyū side has also responded with rules, and Master Koh who built the temple, said that he willingly accepted cosplay photography before his death, saying that he wanted many Japanese to experience Taiwanese culture. Seitenkyū explains that it accepts cosplay photography on the grounds that "Taoist teachings do not reject those who come" as long as they follow the rules.【おもてなし魅せどころ】五千頭の龍が昇る聖天宮(埼玉県坂戸市)拝観もコスプレ撮影も体験『 日経MJ』2022年8月15日(観光・インバウンド面) Acceptance of cosplay photography is limited to two groups per day, for a total of 10 people, and advance reservations are required. In addition to general precautions such as the prohibition of lying down to take pictures, there are unique rules for taking pictures on the grounds, such as the prohibition of revealing clothing and
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if they were alive. A common example of an undead being is a cadaver, corpse reanimated by supernatural forces, by the application of either the deceased's o ...
-like movements and clothing, such as
Jiangshi A jiāngshī (), also known as a Chinese hopping vampire, is a type of undead creature or reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore, Chinese legends and folklore. Due to the influence of Hong Kong cinema, it is typically depicted in modern popular ...
, because it is a religious facility. In Taiwan, the fact that a Taiwanese religious facility in Japan has become a cosplay attraction is a rarity, and was reported in major newspapers such as the
China Times The ''China Times'' (, abbr. ) is a daily Chinese-language newspaper published in Taiwan and one of the most widely circulated newspapers in Taiwan. Founded in 1950, the China Times Group was acquired by food and media conglomerate Want Want, whi ...
and the otaku-oriented online news site gamme news.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seitenkyu Religious buildings and structures in Saitama Prefecture Taiwanese diaspora in Asia Taoist temples in Japan 20th-century Taoist temples Sakado, Saitama