What is Sanjusangendo?

Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple located about 1.5 km east of Kyoto station.The formal name is "The main hall of Rengeou-in temple".The north side faces Shichijo Street, and there is Kyoto National Museum to the north.In 1165, a large temple with many buildings was completed.But it was destroyed by fire in 1249, then only the main hall was rebuilt in 1266.

It is current Sanjusangendo."Sanjusangendo" means "temple with 33 column spacings".The 33 column spacings are set up inside the temple, and we see 35 column spacings outside of the temple.

This temple has such many columns, so it is very long. The length is about 121 meters.In this long temple, there are a stunning number of Buddha statues.

There is a statue of the Goddess of Kannon with many arms in the center of the temple.It was created in 1254, and its height is 3.35 meters. It is a national treasure.And 1,000 statues are set up on the both side of the main large statue.

They are also statues of the Goddess of Kannon with many arms.All of them are about 1.6-1.7 meters high, and it is said that each statue was created by a different sculptor around the 13th century.

All of them are arranged in 10 rows orderly.(There is another statue behind the main large statue, so the total number is 1,001.)It is said that one of them has a face similar to you.But, taking photos is prohibited in the temple.