Wakiyasan Shoboji Temple
Main Image Nio Guardians (Kongorikishi, Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionThe Niomon Gate of Wakiyasan Shoboji houses a pair of Nio guardians (Kongorikishi), Agyo and Ungyo. Each is a painted wooden statue about 2.6 meters tall, standing on either side of the temple gate as protectors of the Buddhist Dharma. During dismantling and repair work in 1988, inscriptions on the backs of their faces confirmed that they were made in 1685 by Koyu, a Kyoto master Buddhist sculptor known as Sakyo Nyudo and granted the Hogen rank. The gate itself is also traditionally dated to 1685 and is among the older Niomon gates in the eastern Gunma area. Because the statues stand on either side of the lower front level of the gate, visitors can view them directly while visiting the temple grounds. The gate and Nio statues are designated Important Cultural Properties of Ota City.
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