I believe there really are five thousand dragons in Shengtian Palace.

On the outskirts of Sakado City, Saitama Prefecture, stands the largest Taiwanese Taoist shrine in Japan, known as "Shengtian Temple, where 5,000 Dragons Rise." I was puzzled as to why there was a Taiwanese shrine here, but apparently there's a custom in Taiwan for individuals to build shrines for the fulfillment of prayers or to express gratitude for those prayers. This shrine was also built by an individual who brought in carpenters from Taiwan and took 15 years to complete.

As its name suggests, the shrine is truly adorned with 5,000 dragons, overflowing with them. The yellow-based gate also has a Chinese shape not seen in Japan.

The intricately carved nine-dragon net and nine-dragon pillars, carved from a single piece of rock, are truly impressive. The main hall's tai chi ceiling is said to swirl and represent the origin of the universe, representing yin and yang.

Speaking of yin and yang, there are Taiwanese (Taoist?) fortune-telling slips. Yin and yang are written on the front and back of each piece of wood, and apparently, you can only draw a fortune by dropping two of these pieces on the ground and finding one that is yin and one that is yang.

The abundance of dragons, the yellow, gold, and red colors of the buildings, and the blue of the clear skies on the day we visited made for a truly refreshing experience. The lack of visitors makes it a great place to experience a Taiwanese atmosphere while in Japan.

Name: Shengtian Temple, where 5,000 Dragons Rise
Address: 51-1 Tsukagoshi, Sakado City, Saitama Prefecture
Visiting Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Open daily
Admission Fee: 500 yen

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#Saitama #SakadoCity #Taiwan #Taoism #Kowloon #Tai ChiCeiling #FortuneSlip

Post by kuuusuke | Sep 5, 2025