Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂) is a must-see temple for its breathtaking 1001 gold-leaf-covered, wooden statues of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy). In the center of the hall, the large Senjū-Kannon (1000-armed Kannon) is flanked by 500 human-sized Kannon images on each side, neatly lined in rows. The visual effect is stunning.
The temple’s name refers to the sanjūsan (33) gen (bays) between the pillars of this ancient building; at 120m, it’s Japan’s longest wooden structure. The original temple, called Rengeō-in, was built in 1164 at the request of the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa. After it burnt to the ground in 1249, a faithful copy was constructed in 1266.
The Kannon statues are fronted by 28 protector deities, described in English signage throughout. If you look closely, you might notice that the supposedly 1000-armed statues actually have only 40 arms. Just keep in mind that a nifty Buddhist mathematical formula holds that 40 arms are the equivalent of 1000, because each arm saves 25 worlds.
The gallery at the western side of the hall is famous for the annual Tōshiya festival, held on 15 January, when archers shoot arrows along the length of the hall. The ceremony dates from the Edo period, when an annual contest was held to see how many arrows could be shot from the southern to northern end in 24 hours. The all-time record was set in 1686, when an archer successfully landed more than 8000 arrows at the northern end.
