Nishiyama Nikkoji Temple
Main Image Wooden Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityStillness
DescriptionA pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi statues, Agyo and Ungyo, stands in the gate of Nishiyama Nikkoji, a temple traditionally said to have been founded by Saicho during the Enryaku era. Dating to the Kamakura period, each figure was carved mainly from a single piece of katsura wood, with the back board, arms, and celestial scarves attached separately. Unusually, Agyo stands on the viewer's left and Ungyo on the right, the reverse of the usual arrangement. Their bodies and drapery are relatively restrained, while their faces retain an intense wrathful force. The pair is said to have been transferred to Nikkoji in 1878 from the former Tokoji, now Haguro Shrine, amid the anti-Buddhist movement of the early Meiji period. They are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Niigata Prefecture. Viewing at the gate is free; in winter vehicles cannot enter the Haraigawa forest road.
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