Kotohira-gu Shrine
Main Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Headed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
Impression TagsRefinementNobilityStillness
DescriptionDisplayed at the Kotohira-gu Treasure Museum, this standing wooden Eleven-Headed Kannon dates to the Heian period. Standing 144 cm high and carved from a single block of Japanese cypress, it was formerly the principal image of the Kannon Hall at Konko-in, the Buddhist temple that administered the shrine during the era of combined Shinto and Buddhist practice. The statue is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Although its pedestal and held objects have been lost, much of the original coloring survives. Its gentle, refined face and deeply carved, orderly robe folds convey the art of the period. Although now housed in a Shinto shrine museum, it is a rare opportunity to see this Buddhist image. Admission is 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), adults ¥800. In 2026 the museum opens on weekends and holidays, April 29–May 6, October 1–November 30 (closed Tuesdays, or the next weekday if a holiday), and December 30–January 3. Check for changes.
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