Sanjusangen-do

The foundation of this Buddhist temple began in 1164 as part of the imperial villa for emperor Go-Shirakawa. It is said that a military leader, Taira no Kiyomori had a hand in its construction. The official name is said to be “Rengeoin”. The span of the main hall is 120 meters, and inside are 1001 thousand-armed Kannon statues, a national treasure said to have been hand-made by the Buddhist image maker from the Kamakura period, Tankei. Each of the 1001 standing statue’s expressions is different, and enshrined at both ends of the building are sculptures of Fujin and Raijin and the Nijuhachibushu (28 attendants of Senju Kannon). All are national treasures. The main southern gate is where the old south gate of Houkouji, built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, used to stand.