Soto Zen Sekijosan Saifukuji Temple
Main Image Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) by Ishikawa Uncho Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionA pair of Kongo Rikishi statues by the celebrated late-Edo sculptor Ishikawa Uncho stands on either side of the stairs inside Saifukuji's Kaizando Hall. Both Agyo and Ungyo are more than two meters tall and carved from single blocks of zelkova. Originally installed at the temple gate, they have since been moved into the Kaizando. The Agyo figure on the right holds a vajra in its mouth, while both figures confront visitors with massive bodies and fierce expressions. Their eyes are said originally to have contained glass, which local tradition says was damaged by children when the lower floor of the hall served as a temple school. Set at the entrance to the richly decorated “Echigo Nikko Kaizando,” the pair has a powerful presence as Buddhist statuary in its own right. The hall is normally open for paid viewing; reservations are required on weekdays from December through March.
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