Kyoto Buddhist Statue Tour

Sanjusangendo

Sanjusangendo (Rengeo-in Main Hall) in Higashiyama Ward has an overwhelming space with 1,001 standing Senju Kannon statues. The golden Kannon statues lined in the 33-bay (about 120m) long main hall overwhelm all who see them — a treasure trove of National Treasures.

Toji's Three-Dimensional Mandala

Toji's (World Heritage) lecture hall, where Kobo Daishi Kukai expressed the world of esoteric Buddhism, has 21 Buddhist statues forming a three-dimensional mandala. The arrangement of statues centered on Dainichi Nyorai three-dimensionally expresses esoteric Buddhist cosmology.

Koryuji's Maitreya Bodhisattva

Koryuji's Miroku Bosatsu Hankashii Zo in Uzumasa, called "Japan's most beautiful Buddhist statue," is a National Treasure. Its gentle smiling expression and ideal proportions have fascinated many artists.

Recommendations for Buddhist Statue Pilgrimage

Kyoto has many other masterpiece Buddhist statues. Pilgrimages touring locations like Seiryoji, Jingoji, and Kuramadera are special journeys that allow experiencing the depth of Japanese art.