Yatsuji Nio Gate (Former Hokkeji Temple Site)
Main Image Wooden Kongo Rikishi Guardians (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionTwo wooden Kongo Rikishi figures guard the surviving Nio Gate of the former Hokkeji Temple in Yatsuji, Tosa City. Agyo stands approximately 204 cm high and Ungyo 200 cm. Both are assembled from Japanese cypress wood and have carved eyes and painted surfaces, with red bodies and black lower garments. Powerful expressions and upper bodies contrast with more rustic carving in the fingers and lower halves. Dating to the Muromachi period or slightly later, the pair was designated a Kochi Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property in 1955. Though Hokkeji is no longer an active temple, its Nio Gate, Kannon Hall and Mieido Hall survive, allowing visitors to seek out these guardians in a mountain village. Official visitor information notes that there is no parking.
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