Sho Bishamondo Hall (Managed by Jurinji Temple)
Main Image Standing Wooden Tobatsu Bishamonten (Vaisravana), Prefectural Cultural Property Category Tenbu (Deva)
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DescriptionSho Bishamondo in Matsuyama preserves a striking 182 cm wooden Tobatsu Bishamonten, carved from a single kaya wood block and thought to date to the 10th or 11th century. Unlike the familiar form of Bishamonten trampling demons, this unusual guardian stands upright on the palms of an earth deity. He wears close-fitting armor and a three-sided crown, with raised brows and glaring eyes creating a formidable expression. Although his hands and nose are lost, the massive body retains the compelling weight of early Japanese single-block carving. The statue was designated an Ehime Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property on November 1, 1962. Local worshippers have protected it for generations. Visitors can view it through the glass doors of the small hall immediately south of Jurinji, while access inside requires a prior telephone appointment with the caretaker temple.
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