The Sanjusangen-do is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddha of Compassion. The statues are made of Japanese cypress. Among the standing statues, 124 were made in the 12th century when the temple was founded, and the remaining statues were made in the 13th century when the temple was renovated .
The Sanjusangen-do (Official name Rengeo-in temple) was established by the powerful warrior-politician Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1164. The original temple building was lost in a fire, but the building was reconstructed in 1266. That structure has remained unchanged for 700 years since then with four great renovations during that period.
The long temple hall, which is about 120 meters long (Japan's longest wooden structure) , is made in the Wayo (Japanese) style architecture. As there are 33 spaces between the columns, this temple came to be called 'Sanjusangen-do' (a hall with 33 spaces between columns).
Times and Prices
Admission: 600 Yen
Hours:
08:00 - 17:00 (April - mid Nov)
09:00 - 16:30 (mid Nov - March)
Location
south east of Kyoto
How to Get There
About 20 minute walk from Tokyo station
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