Sanjusangendo
Kyoto Travel Packages
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9 Day Japan Tour: Fixed Departure
Tokyo(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(3N)
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Japan 15 Days
Tokyo(5N) → Kyoto(4N) → Osaka(4N) → Hiroshima(1N)
Japan Explorer: 8 Nights Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka Adventure
Tokyo(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(3N)
Customized Holiday in Japan
Tokyo(4N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(2N)
9-Day Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and Osaka Adventure
East of Tokyo(3N) → Fujikawaguchiko(1N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka...
Japan Highlights: 6 Nights Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka Tour
Tokyo(2N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(2N)
"Home to 1,001 golden Kannon statues standing in silent rows."
Sanjusangendo, Kyoto Overview
Sanjusangendo, officially Rengeo-in, is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district founded in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori for Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Its long wooden hall, rebuilt after a 1249 fire and designated a National Treasure, houses 1,001 life-size standing statues of the thousand-armed Kannon, arranged in tiered rows around a large seated central Kannon carved by the sculptor Tankei. Statues of Fujin and Raijin and 28 guardian deities line the hall's edges. The temple remains an active place of worship and a consistent fixture on Kyoto's must-see temple lists.
Sanjusangendo takes its name from the 33 bays (sanjusan-gen) spanning its 120-meter-long main hall, a hallmark of Wayo architectural style. Built in 1164 and reconstructed after fire in the 13th century, it belongs to Myoho-in temple within the Tendai school of Buddhism. Inside, 1,001 wooden Kannon statues (124 originals salvaged from the 1249 fire, the rest recreated soon after) stand in ranks eleven rows deep, flanking a large seated Kannon by master sculptor Tankei. The temple grounds historically also hosted Toshiya archery contests. Photography is not permitted inside the hall. Guided visits are offered year-round.
