Iwaki City's Shiramizu Amida-do

Shiramizu Amida-do, also known as Ganjo-ji Temple, is Fukushima Prefecture's only cultural property to be designated a National Treasure. The temple is said to have been built in 1160 by Princess Tokuhime, widow of a local feudal lord, Norimichi Iwaki. Surrounded by a large pond and a lovely garden called 'Jodo Teien', visitors enter by crossing over a traditional red bridge. The grounds are always beautiful, but are especially so during the fall and in summer when the lotus flowers bloom.