Sanjusangen-do

Background

Sanjūsangen-dō, formally the main hall of Rengeō-in, stands in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward, just south of the Kyoto National Museum. The main hall is about 120 meters long, one of the longest wooden structures in Japan, and its 33 bays between pillars give the hall its name. At the center sits a Thousand-armed Kannon about 3.3 meters high (a National Treasure, made by Tankei, son of the Kamakura-period sculptor Unkei), flanked by 500 life-size standing Thousand-armed Kannon on each side — 1,000 in all — arranged in 10 rows of 50; with one more behind the principal image, there are 1,001. The 28 guardian deities in front and the Wind God and Thunder God are likewise National Treasures, each with a different expression. In 1164 Taira no Kiyomori founded the hall within the Hōjūji-dono palace at the command of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa; it was destroyed by fire in 1249, and the present main hall was rebuilt in 1266. Of the standing statues, 124 are Heian-period originals that survived the fire, while the other 876 were made in the Kamakura period by sculptors of the Kei, En and In schools. The main hall and its statues are all National Treasures; the temple belongs to the Tendai school and is administered by Myōhō-in.

Local customs

• After removing your shoes, walk slowly along the corridor inside the hall from north to south: first view the central seated Thousand-armed Kannon, then look row by row at the faces of the standing statues and the differing expressions of the 28 guardian deities. After leaving the hall, stroll around the pond-stroll garden and the vermilion buildings. In mid-January you can plan your visit around the Tōshiya archery event, but crowds that day are extremely large
• check official announcements for the date.

Travel tips

• Allow about 40 minutes to an hour inside the hall, plus time for the garden. The hall is visited one-way on foot, so if you have a lot of luggage, store it first or travel light. Check the official site for admission and opening hours (which differ between summer and winter).
• From Kyoto Station, take a city bus to the Hakubutsukan Sanjūsangendō-mae stop, right outside
• alternatively, take the Keihan Line to Shichijō Station and walk about 10 minutes, or walk from Kyoto Station in about 20 minutes. Cherry blossoms in the garden in spring and autumn foliage are the usual highlights
• in mid-January the Tōshiya and the willow-branch blessing are held as annual events — check official announcements for exact dates.