Mizusawa Temple, founded over 1000 years ago, plays an important religious role as one of the 33 sites of the Kanto Kannon Pilgrimage. It hosts a variety of religious buildings, which are all well maintained. The temple is situated on the mountain side, affording a nice view from many points.
The temple is devoted to Kannon, the goddess of compassion in Japanese Buddhism. An 11-faced, thousand-handed statue of the deity is the temple's main object of worship, and is never displayed publicly.
On the temple grounds, there are many interesting ceremonial procedures in which visitors can take part, such as purchasing fortunes, burning incense, or striking a giant bell. A particular rarity is a rotating two-storied hexagonal pagoda, which visitors can turn three times for good luck.
Another of Mizusawa's principal attractions is not actually at the temple itself, rather it is served at the restaurants that line the road to get there. Along with Kagawa's Sanuki noodles and Akita's Inaniwa noodles, Mizusawa's udon noodles are recognized as one of the three most famous types of udon noodles in Japan.
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