Enjoy Saifukuji ceiling art by Uncho Ishikawa in Uonuma

Saifukuji in Uonuma, Niigata, contains a masterpiece by Uncho Ishikawa.Enjoy the talented wood carvings on the Kaisando's main hall ceiling.They are dynamic, colorful, and absolutely stunning.

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Saifukuji, a Soto Zen temple

Saifukuji is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple located in Uonuma, a small city in Niigata prefecture. It was officially opened in 1534. The temple is most famous for its beautiful carvings and paintings in its Kaisando, or Founder’s hall, a building where an image of the Founder is kept with his memorabilia.

In Saifukuji’s Kaisando, which was designed in 1857, you will see many pieces of artwork such as screen paintings, sculptures, and sliding doors by master craftsman of the Edo period, Uncho Ishikawa (1814-1883). On the main hall ceiling is his masterpiece, “Dogen Zenji Moko Chobuku.” The ceiling’s wood carvings was commissioned by the temple, and is said to have taken 6 years to complete. It’s dynamic and captivating, and even after 150 years, many visitors are stunned by his work.

Talented Craftsman, Uncho Ishikawa

When you look up at Uncho Ishikawa’s masterpiece at the Kaisando, it’s almost as if the carvings will start to move to tell its story. They depict the miraculous story of when Dogen-Zenji (Japanese Buddhist priest and founder of Soto Buddhism in Japan) encountered a fierce tiger while walking in China. It is believed that while he was descending a mountain, he encountered an aggressive tiger, but his walking stick turned into a dragon to protect him. Because the dragon kept him safe, Dogen-zenji remained unharmed.

Seven other animals are carved into the ceiling, which is Uncho Ishikawa’s sense of humor portrayed in his artwork. He was known to be a man who had a great character, and was famous for loving sake, gambling and women. If you look closely, you will see that the carvings are carefully painted with bright colors and uses glass cutting for eyes. Wood carvings were not mixed with other materials at the time, so this mixture was a rare technique. It should be noted that Uncho Ishikawa only started to gain fame in the past twenty to thirty years. Now he is called the “Michelangelo of Japan (or Echigo)”, referring to his masterpiece in Saifukuji Kaisando, but he is still not widely known in Japan. Some believe that the reason he had remained unknown for such a long time was because none of his work was ever found in Tokyo. But his work is steadily starting to become popular, and now there are Uncho fans outside of Niigata area too.

It is said that there are about 1000 pieces of his works left (including his artwork kept in private homes), mostly in the Uonuma area. If you are interested in seeing more of his work, you should take a visit to Eirinji temple. Eirinji displays many of his sculptures and paintings—they are all dynamic, colorful and very detailed. Eirinji is a 30-minute car ride from Saifukuji. Both Eirinji and Saifukuji are designated cultural assets by Niigata prefecture.

Places to see at Uonuma City

“Niigata prefecture’s Uonuma city”-- the first thing most Japanese people think of when they hear this is koshihikari brand rice. Grown using pure water from the mountains, the rice is considered one of the best in quality and taste. Enjoy it while you are there, along with Uonuma sake that is easy to drink and goes well with various Japanese dishes.

If you like nature, there are scenic areas in the city too. The Oze National park is a large park that lies within the prefectures of Gunma, Fukushima, Niigata and Tochigi, and is known to be a great hiking spot. The entrance course that starts from Uonuma is not hilly so is great for people who just want to walk and see some nice views without much physical effort. If you like hiking, Mt. Komgatake and Mt. Hiragatake are both mountains that are included in the Famous 100 Peaks of Japan. You can also go on cruises at the Okutadami Lake to enjoy the lake and the tall mountains that surround it.

If you enjoy snow, winter is cold, long, with heavy snow. Uonuma residents are used to the snow and transportation won’t stop just because it’s snowing (unlike Tokyo). You can enjoy winter sports at scenic mountains, and also dip yourself into a nice hot spring—they have 13 different hot spring areas.

How to Visit

Take the bullet train from Tokyo station to Echigoyuzawa station (approx. 1hr 15 min). Take the Joetsu Line from Echigoyuzawa Station, and get off at Koide Station (approx. 45 min). Take the Minami Echigo Kotsu bus from Koide station to Mushinokami kuchi stop. From Mushinokami kuchi stop, it is a 15-minute walk.

Address: 174 Oura, Uonuma city, Niigata Prefecture 946-0033
Tel: +81-(0)25-792-3032