The town near Zenkoji Temple has a charming cityscape lined with “dozō-style buildings”-- traditional Japanese structures with outer walls made of mud, also known as “earthen-wall style.” An earthquake that occurred in the Edo period that had devastating effects on Zenkoji explains why this style of building was widespread at that time.
The incident occurred at Zenkoji Temple on the day of Gokaichō, a celebration of the history and heritage of Zenkoji with a public display of the hidden Buddha statue. It was a warm spring evening and visitors from all over the world were there enjoying the shops and having a good time.
But at around ten o’clock in the evening, the earth suddenly began to shake violently. An account from a temple visitor goes as follows:
Tens of thousands of lights suddenly went out at once and I felt like I was being pushed in all directions. I couldn’t get up. While I struggled to stand up, I heard the earth rumbling as if a non-stop thunder was roaring around me. The rumbling continued as I looked out into the city, which looked like a sea of fire that kept spreading further and further. I quickly evacuated to a nearby mountain where naked women were running alongside me. No doubt they were enjoying the public baths when the earthquake struck.
The town burned for three days straight and destroyed everything in sight. When it was finally time to rebuild, the people of Zenkoji decided to use dozō-style buildings to resist earthquakes and fires.