Temple · Higashiyama-Shichijo

Sanjusangendo 三十三間堂 (蓮華王院)

A 120 m long wooden hall holding 1,001 life-size gilded statues of the thousand-armed Kannon, ranked in rows like a golden army, guarded by 28 fierce deities and the wind and thunder gods.

About

Rengeo-in, universally called Sanjusangendo after the 33 bays between its pillars, was founded in 1164 by the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa and rebuilt in 1266 after a fire. It is the longest wooden structure in Japan, and every one of its 1,001 statues is a National Treasure: 1,000 standing Senju Kannon arranged in ten tiers flanking a large seated Kannon carved by the master Tankei at the age of 82. In front stand the 28 guardian deities, muscular and expressive works of the Kamakura Kei school, with Fujin and Raijin, the wind and thunder gods, at either end, the models for countless later depictions. The long west veranda was the site of the Toshiya archery contest of the Edo period, in which samurai shot arrows the length of the hall; it lives on each January as the Omato Taikai, when young archers in kimono, many on their coming-of-age day, compete in the grounds. Photography inside is strictly prohibited.

Highlights

• 1,001 gilded wooden Kannon statues, all National Treasures
• Tankei's 13th-century seated thousand-armed Kannon at the centre
• 28 guardian deities plus Fujin and Raijin, masterpieces of Kamakura sculpture
• The 120 m long hall, Japan's longest wooden building
• Omato Taikai archery contest each January, when the grounds are free

Tips

• Legend says you will find a statue resembling someone you miss among the thousand faces; take your time.
• No photos inside, and you must remove shoes; wear socks in winter, the floor is cold.
• It is a 5-minute walk from Kyoto National Museum and 10 minutes from Shichijo Station, easy to combine.
• Walk the outside of the hall to appreciate its length and the old archery veranda.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Touzan Bar (Hyatt Regency Kyoto)Bars & Nightlife · 90 m away
• Yogen-in TempleLocal Secret · 130 m away
• Kyoto National MuseumMuseum · 250 m away
• Coin Lockers · Shichijo Station (Keihan)Luggage Storage · 310 m away
• Six Senses KyotoStay · 400 m away
• Azuma ZushiSushi & Seafood · 430 m away
• Shichijo Ohashi BridgeBridge · 440 m away
• Four Seasons Hotel KyotoStay · 530 m away