Genkakuji Temple (Konnyaku Enma)
Main Image Wooden Seated Statue of Enma-o (Konnyaku Enma) Category Other
Impression TagsDignityMysteryDepth
DescriptionGenkakuji Temple in Koishikawa is famous for its wooden seated image of Enma, affectionately known as “Konnyaku Enma.” According to the temple, the statue is about one meter high, made of joined cypress wood, and is thought from a Bunkyo City survey to date to the Kamakura period in the tradition of the Unkei school. An inscription records restoration by a Buddhist sculptor in 1672, and the image is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Bunkyo City. A popular legend tells of an elderly woman whose eye disease was cured after 21 days of prayer, after which Enma’s right eye became blind; in gratitude, she offered konnyaku. The image has since been revered for healing eye ailments and even appears in works by Natsume Soseki and Higuchi Ichiyo, making it a famous Buddhist site that preserves the popular religious traditions of Edo.
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