Enlightment gate （Sanmon）of Zuiunji Temple, which withstood the earthquake of magnitude 6 in the east side of Iburi, Hokkaido

On 6 September 2018, a major earthquake struck the Iburi region of Hokkaido, with its epicentre in the Iburi area.The maximum seismic intensity was 7 in Atsuma-cho, Yufutsu-gun.The Soto-shū Suiundo Temple (Abira-town) in the same Yufutsu-gun was hit by violent shaking with a seismic intensity of 6+,but the Enlightment gate designed and constructed by Suiundo in 1997 absorbed the violent shaking with only some damage to the blacket complex and other parts, and the architecture remained intact.
The damaged blacket complex was repaired in just five days. While neighbouring temples suffered extensive damage, the architecture of Suiundo proved its reliability.

The two-storied pagoda of Kanzaki Temple, a Shingon-shū Buzan-school temple in Mito City, designed and constructed by Suiundo in 2000, withstood the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in 2011 without significant damage.However, in accordance with the wishes of the temple’s head priest, who stated, ‘The damage to the components cannot be fully assessed by visual inspection alone.We wish to preserve them as part of the disaster’s historical remnants,’ the damaged components were left as they were.

Enquiries about earthquake-resistant construction are increasing every year, and ‘we recommend reviewing the architecture itself when replacing roof tiles with lighter ones or replacing them with copper or titanium.

Of course, we are also available to consult on improving the earthquake resistance of the architecture itself,’ says Suiundo President Yutaka Yamaguchi.

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