Japan: Sanjusangendo Temple

Taking refuge under a bridge from the rain

The next morning Emily and I were on our own for the day.  We were up early, ready for the new adventures that the day would bring.  It was raining, but we didn't let the rain deter us as we set out to explore more of Kyoto's temples and shrines.

Our first stop was at the Sanjusangendo temple.

Sanjusangendo was founded in 1164 by order of the retired emperor Goshirakawa. The original temple was destroyed by fire in 1249; the present structure dates from its rebuilding in 1266.
The Kannon statues that fill the temple were carved in the 12th and 13th centuries by Tankei, a famous sculptor of the Kamakura Period. The central Kannon image dates from 1254.
At 120m (394 feet) in length, Sanjusangendo is Japan's longest wooden building. Simple and austere on the outside, the main attraction of Sanjusangendo is the inside, which is filled with 1,001 statues of Kannon, all beautifully carved from Japanese cypress.

The temple centers on a six-foot-tall statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. She has 11 faces and 1000 arms and has been designated a National Treasure. The central Kannon is flanked by 1,000 more life-sized Kannons, who are covered in gold leaf and stand side-by-side several rows deep. These statues have 40 arms, each of which are said to have the power to save 25 worlds.

Rain soaked street and the random vending machine

1000-armed Kannon are equipped with 11 heads to better witness the suffering of humans and with 1000 arms to better help them fight the suffering. Note that the actual statues have only 42 arms each. Subtract the two regular arms and multiply by the 25 planes of existence to get the full thousand.

Sanjusan means "33," which is the number of spaces between the pillars that support the long, narrow hall. This number was chosen for a reason: Kannon can assume 33 different shapes on her missions of mercy. So, because there are 1,001 statues of Kannon in the hall, 33,033 shapes are possible. People come to Sanjusangendo to look for the likeness of a loved one among the many statues.

24-hour paid bike parking

In the corridor behind the Kannons are statues of 28 Japanese deities who protect the Buddhist universe. They represent Kannon's disciples and embody various virtues. Finally, there are two traditional Buddhist temple guardians: Raijin, the god of thunder, and Fujin, the god of wind.
Sanjusangendo is also known for the Toshiya (archery contest) that takes place behind the temple each January. Traditionally, the contest is a ritual exercise intended to show young participants that an adult's life requires patience and self-control.

The temple inside and out was beautiful.  Photography inside was prohibited--there were even signs posted that said camera's and cell phones will be checked to make sure no photos were taken.  We didn't have ours checked (we didn't take pictures), but there were definitely people on the lookout for rule-breakers.

Telephone booth--they still exist!

I only included this one because you can see the rain coming down

Here are some images from the inside that I was able to find on the web:





 Due to the cloud coverage, the coloring of the statues looked like the middle picture to us.  The more sunlight, the brighter and more golden the statues shine.  It was absolutely breathtaking to view.  I really really wanted to take pictures.  Each statue was slightly different, yet there was a uniformity to them all.  They are all life-size, and it was row upon row.  If there hadn't been so many people wandering through, it would have been nice to spend some quality time there. 

 The temple grounds were also beautiful and very serene.  Once the rain stopped, more people began to come, but for a time we had the place virtually to ourselves.

Inari Shrine