Kinpusenji Temple
Main Image Three Standing Kongo Zao Gongen Images Category Other
Impression TagsPowerDignitySolemnity
DescriptionThe three Important Cultural Property wooden standing images of Kongo Zao Gongen are enshrined in the enormous shrine inside Kinpusenji Temple's Zaodo Hall. They were created in 1590 during the Momoyama period by the Nara Buddhist sculptors Sotei, Soin, and others. The central image exceeds seven meters in height, while each of the two flanking images exceeds five meters, making them among Japan's largest hidden wooden Buddhist images. Their dark blue bodies and fierce wrathful forms embody the principal deity of Shugendo revealed to En no Gyoja; the three figures are understood as manifestations of Shaka Nyorai, Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Maitreya. Normally hidden from view, they will be specially unveiled from October 24 to November 30, 2026.
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