Temple · Higashiyama · Kyoto
Sanjusangen-do
三十三間堂さんじゅうさんげんどうSanjūsangen-dōA thousand and one golden Kannon in a single hall
Sanjūsangen-dō, formally Rengeō-in, is a Buddhist temple hall in eastern Kyoto, founded in 1164 and rebuilt in 1266. About 120 m long, it houses 1,001 gilded wooden statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon in serried ranks, flanked by guardian deities; the hall and its statues are National Treasures.
Overview
Sanjūsangen-dō stands in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, a few minutes' walk from the Kyoto National Museum. Its popular name, Hall of Thirty-Three Bays, refers to the 33 spaces between the pillars of the long interior; the formal name is Rengeō-in, and it belongs to the Tendai temple Myōhō-in. The hall, about 120 m long, is the longest wooden temple building in Japan.
Inside, 1,000 standing statues of the eleven-headed, Thousand-Armed Kannon, each about life-size and covered in gold leaf, stand in ten rows on tiered platforms to either side of a large seated Kannon carved by Tankei in 1254. In front of them stand the Twenty-Eight Attendants, powerful figures of guardian deities, and at either end Fūjin and Raijin, the gods of wind and thunder. Together they form one of the most striking ensembles of Japanese Buddhist sculpture.
The number 33 also recalls the 33 forms in which Kannon manifests to save living beings, and with 1,001 figures each bearing multiple forms the hall was meant to multiply the merit of devotion many times over.
Highlights
1,001 Thousand-Armed Kannon
千体千手観音立像Sentai Senju Kannon RyūzōGilded cypress statues in ten rows; each face differs slightly, and visitors traditionally look for the likeness of someone they have lost.
Seated Thousand-Armed Kannon
千手観音坐像Senju Kannon ZazōThe principal image in the centre of the hall, carved by Tankei at over 80 years of age in 1254.
Twenty-Eight Attendants
二十八部衆像Nijūhachi Bushū-zōRealistic Kamakura-period figures of Buddhist protective deities, many derived from Indian gods.
Fūjin and Raijin
風神・雷神像Fūjin, Raijin-zōThe wind god with his bag of winds and the thunder god with his drums, models for later depictions including Tawaraya Sōtatsu's famous screens.
West veranda
通し矢TōshiyaThe roughly 120 m veranda where Edo-period archers competed to shoot arrows the full length of the hall.
History
Taira no Kiyomori built the hall in 1164 as a devotional hall for the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa. It burned in 1249, and the present building was completed in 1266 by Emperor Go-Saga; 124 of the standing statues survived the fire and date from the original temple, while the others were carved in the 13th century by sculptors of the Kei, En and In schools, including Tankei, son of Unkei. In the Edo period the long west veranda was the venue of tōshiya, archery contests in which archers shot the length of the hall.
1164
Taira no Kiyomori builds the hall for the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa.
1249
A fire destroys the hall; 124 statues and some others are saved.
1254
Tankei completes the central seated Thousand-Armed Kannon.
1266
The present hall is completed.
Late 16th century
Toyotomi Hideyoshi incorporates the hall into the grounds of the Hōkō-ji; the Taikō-bei wall and South Gate date from this era.
Edo period
The tōshiya archery contests along the west veranda become famous.
2018
The 1,001 standing Kannon statues are designated National Treasures as a group.
Culture
Sanjūsangen-dō combines devotion to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, with an almost overwhelming sculptural display. The effect of a thousand identical yet individual figures glinting in the half-light of the hall has made it one of the most memorable interiors in Japan.
The archery tradition lives on in the Ōmato Taikai, held in January, when young archers, many celebrating their coming of age in kimono and hakama, shoot at targets in the temple grounds. On the same occasion the temple holds the Yanagi no Okaji, a blessing with willow branches said to protect against headaches.
Visiting
- The temple is about 15 minutes' walk east of Kyoto Station, or a few minutes from Shichijō Station on the Keihan Line; city buses stop at Hakubutsukan Sanjūsangendō-mae.
- Shoes are removed before entering the hall; photography is not permitted inside.
- The hall is walked along its length on the east side, with a return along the rear; about 30 to 45 minutes are enough.
- The Kyoto National Museum across the street makes a natural combination.
Nearby
Kyoto National Museum
京都国立博物館Kyōto Kokuritsu HakubutsukanMuseum of Japanese and East Asian art directly opposite the temple.
Hillside temple with its wooden stage, a short bus ride or 25 minutes' walk east.
Shrine of the vermilion torii, a few stops south on the JR Nara or Keihan lines.
Tōfuku-ji
東福寺Tōfuku-jiLarge Zen temple known for autumn colours, a short walk south.
Frequently asked questions
How many statues are in Sanjusangen-do?
There are 1,001 statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon: 1,000 standing figures and one large seated figure in the centre, plus 28 attendant deities and the gods of wind and thunder.
Why is it called Sanjusangen-do?
The name means Hall of Thirty-Three Bays, after the 33 spaces between the pillars along the interior. The formal name of the temple is Rengeō-in.
Are the statues original?
Yes. 124 of the standing statues survive from the 12th-century temple; the rest, including the central image, were carved in the 13th century after the fire of 1249.
Can you take photos inside Sanjusangen-do?
No. Photography is not permitted inside the hall.
Is Sanjusangen-do a World Heritage Site?
No. It is not one of the components of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, but the hall and its statues are National Treasures.