Sanjusangen-do

I really enjoyed my time visiting this temple in Kyoto. The price is 600 yen per person to enter, and really worth it. The outside has a beautiful little garden area, otherwise just lots of gravel and pavement to walk around. The real deal is inside, where there are 1001 buddha statues and 33 pillars for you to marvel at and worship, if you choose. No photos are allowed inside, which makes for a very pleasant and selfie-​stick-​free viewing. Each statue is so intricately detailed and unique; it is very impressive to consider. Highly recommended.

This is definitely a must-​see for any tourist in Kyoto! The 1001 Buddha statues are unbelievable. We went here on a full day tour, and this was definitely my favorite sightseeing spot. Also, my friend and I met a group of 4 people who were also touring around Japan, and was on day 3 of sightseeing. After visiting the Sanjusangendo hall, they all agreed that was the best temple/​shrine they had visited. The only downside is that photography inside is strictly prohibited; all the more reason to visit it in person!

My cousin Hiro was kind enough to drive us from Wakayama to Kyoto to see the 1001 statues of the Buddhist deity, Juichimen-​senju-​sengen Kanzeon or Kannon. 1000 standing statues and 1 gigantic seated statue is housed in the Temple hall. These statues are made of Japanese cypress and absolutely stunning. My mother told me if I looked long enough & if I was lucky I would be able to find my face amongst them. I kept seeing my mother & sister in the faces but unfortunately I didn’t see my visage staring back at me.
The cypress is coated with layer after layer of lacquer then colored gold. Many of the statues are faded but it is not hard to visualize how beautiful they were in the 13^th century. At opposite sides of the temple hall & standing before the statues are the images of the Thunder God and the Wind God. These statues are powerful, dynamic & a bit frightening. Whoever carved these infused a bit of life into these beautiful representations of thunder & wind. Between these two running in a straight line along the hall are 28 images of the guardian deities. These deities trace their origins to Hindu mythology. These statues were once colorful but are now faded & look a bit dark standing silent in front of the 1001 gold hued Kannons. No pictures are allowed in the hall and of course no shoes. In front of each guardian deity is a wooden box for donations & to pray to that particular deity.
The gift shop was wonderfully stocked with prayer cards & special prayers for: good health, success, etc. I picked out several for friends. The grounds are beautiful with several buildings and a garden where there were a few late blooming cherry trees.

This is one of my favorite spots and perhaps the most impressive sight that matches Todaiji’s bronze Buddha in Japan!
Sanjusangendo, or the «33 Interval Hall» for the thirty-​three gaps between the pillars, makes up its lack of height with its length as Japan’s longest wooden structure. The building is so long that it is the site of the annual archery tradition that includes firing as many arrows as you can to the other end for 24 hours!
However, the extraordinary building length is not the impressive part. The most impressive part about Sanjusangendo is the mind-​blowing display of 1000 lacquered wooden statues of thousand-​hand Kannon that were made at least 700 years ago! At first sight, all statues look identical but upon further inspection, there are subtle differences in details like the robe pattern and lacquer layer because they are made by at least four master craftsmen. Accompanying with the Kannon crowd are the equally beautiful statues of twenty-​eight Buddhist guardian deities and two Japanese weather gods (wind and thunder gods) that may make you mistaken them to be living beings because of the extreme details especially on their expressions.
Yet, the awe factor does not stop until you reach the center to witness a massive thousand-​hand Kannon statue. Though it was made almost a century ago, the lacquered wooden colossus still maintain its details and magnificence to appear both towering and intimate to the immediate sentiment beings that Kannon vowed to save.
Sanjusangendo is a must-​go destination for all Kyoto tourist, because the scale and the grandeur are enough to impress even without any appreciation for Buddhist art. No photography is allowed inside, but it’ll definitely leave you an impression even without a physical way to do so!
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tl;dr version:
1) Most impressive sight in Japan that parallels Todaiji’s Daibutsu
2) (Literally) Tons of lively Buddhist statues from the Kamakura era

I haven’t been reviewing all of the temples I visited — not enough time to write that many reviews. But I will review this one, as it’s pretty incredible. No pictures are allowed of the inside, but the sight of all the 1001 hand carved and gold covered Kannon statues is truly impressive — what a labor of faith, not to mention the other statues and carvings inside. I don’t think pictures truly do it justice anyway, but this is one of the only places where I’ve bought anything from a temple gift shop — a very nice color book that contained photos of the inside. I couldn’t resist, since the inside is so stunning that I wanted proof of what I saw. Well worth the very reasonable admission.

Me encanta este pabellón por su simplicidad y belleza. La arquitectura tradicional japonesa tiene mucho de contemporáneo por lo versátil de su espacio y el gusto minimalista en madera y este edificio es un buen ejemplo de ello.
Este templo supone una visita bastante rápida que te deja muy buena sensación por la tranquilidad que desprenden los rostros de las 1001 estatuas de Kanon y por el fulgor tenue del material en la semi-​oscuridad, que recuerda a las alabanzas que Tanizaki reclamaba como la esencia de lo bello. Suele haber mucha gente, pero es posible admirar las estatuas con relativa calma.
Hay que entrar descalzo (cuidado con los tomates en los calcetines o el olor a pies) y en silencio, no se permiten fotos y merece mucho la pena.

Once you step inside, you’ll immediately know that this is one of the most impressive shrines in Kyoto. You don’t want to miss it. It’s also a nice walk from Kyoto Station to start off your visit.

This popular spot in Kyoto, also known as the Hall of 1001 Kannon, is located in the Eastern part of Kyoto.
It is an amazing site to see so many Bodhisattva statues in the long hall, each painstakingly constructed from wood and well preserved for hundreds of years. Walking through the long and quiet space while looking at the different faces is both an awesome and eerie feeling.
Aside from the many Kannon statues, there is also a little garden area outside, as well as some displays along the back, inside the temple, some of which talk about an interesting archery tournament that takes place there.

This place is worth checking out for sure. For some reason I didn’t have it on our itinerary but we stumbled in on our way to another site. The hall is massive with many unique statues, you really have to see it to understand. There’s a small garden outside to walk around and it’s a good quick site to see.

Dans le quartier d’Higashiyama, ce vieux temple (reconstruit en 1266 après un incendie) se situe au centre d’un petit jardin «à la japonaise» (bassin, arbres, cloches, toris, etc).
Tout en longueur et en bois, il abrite 1001 statues dorées de divinités bouddhistes. Sculptées dans du cyprès du Japon, beaucoup d’entres elles sont des divinités originaires d’Inde.
Les photos sont interdites à l’intérieur du temple.
Comme la plupart des temples au Japon, il ferme tôt: 16h jusqu’en mars et 17h ensuite.
Entrée: 600 yens.

When I went there for the first time I was super surprised because of human sized 1001 statues of 1000-​armed Kannon, the goddess of mercy. I have seen the photo of these but actual view is totally different… Together they make for an strong impact.
Honestly it made me scared pretty much because at the moment I was a 10 years old I guess. It is said that there is the face of person whom you want to meet in 1001 statues.
There are some famous temples around there and you can enjoy and walk around all the day.
If you want to see something unique, you should drop into here!
Admission
adult 600yen
High/​junior high school students 400 yen
Children 300yen

I was astonished by its long frontage. I’ve never seen such a long hall of Buddhist temple. The reason lies in the unique name of «Sanjyu Sangendo». It has a hall of thirty-​three spaces between the pillars from north to south. The Bodhisattva called Kannon appears in thirty-​three different sights to rescue people in some troublesome or disasters.
The main hall which is now designated national treasure was established in the economic assistance of Tairano Kiyomori. However the hall was burnt down by fire and later it was recostructed.
Inside the wooden image of one thousand-​armed Bodhisattva is reposed. It is designated as important cultural assets. It is very rare and a must to see. A very unique figure. Its number is 1000.
In addition, you feel horror at the scary face of Thunder, Wind Gods. When I first saw the figures, I made an oath that I would never do bad things from now on.
Tips: If you come here, you must bring your steps in Kyoto National Museum. You will be enchanted by its retro outward appearance.
An archery competition called «Oomato Taikai» is held in January. The sight of the participants in Kimono clad who reach 20 years old is awesome! So please check it!