Basic information

This ancient temple was founded in 701 (the first year of the Taiho era) by En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo, and rebuilt as a training center for the Shingon sect by Kobo Daishi Kukai in 815 (the sixth year of the Kōnin era). Within the temple grounds are the tomb of Emperor Go-Murakami and the grave of Kusunoki Masashige.
The Golden Hall, a national treasure, was built in the early Muromachi period and is a representative example of eclectic architecture that cleverly incorporates traditional Japanese elements, as well as Zen and Great Buddha elements that were recently introduced from China.
The principal image, a secret Buddha statue, is a national treasure, and is one of the "Three Nyoirin Kannon of Japan," and is said to be the finest Buddhist statue in esoteric Buddhist art from the Heian period. It is one of only 12 such statues in the country, and was first designated as a former national treasure in 1897 (Meiji 30), and the first to be designated as a new national treasure in 1951 (Showa 26), making it the fifth national treasure.
[Special Exhibition] ◎ Main Hall [Inner Sanctuary] ◎ Wooden seated statue of Nyoirin Kannon ● Large colored silk statue of Zuikyu ● Two wooden standing statues of Komokuten and Zochoten ● Gilt bronze standing statue of Kannon Bodhisattva ● Gilt bronze half-seated Shaka Nyorai statue ● Wooden seated statue of Aizen Myoo
[Regularly open to the public] ●Haritai Temple Hall ●Wooden standing statue of Kannon Bodhisattva (made by the monk Kukai) [One of two statues] ●Three wooden standing statues of Kannon Bodhisattva ●Wooden seated statue of Medicine Buddha ●Wooden seated statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva ●Wooden standing statue of Jizo Bodhisattva ●Wooden seated statue of Shaka Nyorai ●Wooden seated statue of Nyoirin Kannon ●Wooden seated statue of Hosho Nyorai ●Wooden standing statue of Tamonten ●Wooden standing statue of Eleven-faced Kannon ●Wooden standing statue of Jikokuten ●Belly band