[Wakayama] The Breathtaking National Treasure Thousand-Armed Kannon Encountered at Dojo-ji, a Sacred Site of Traditional Performing Arts

🗓️ Date of visit: February 2025 / Dojo-ji Temple (Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture)

My goal for 2025 was to 'go and meet National Treasure Buddha statues I haven't met yet,'
and this time I finally went to Dojo-ji in Wakayama.
The large Treasure Hall enshrines many Buddha statues,

including National Treasures.
Photography is allowed and social media posting is encouraged,

so I took as many photos as I wanted 📷

The Breathtaking National Treasure Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva

First and foremost,
the National Treasure triad that is the principal image of Dojo-ji

All are wooden statues with lacquer and gold leaf, created in the Heian period (9th century).
It is a rare triad with Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas as attendants to the Thousand-Armed Kannon.
It was a truly magnificent Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva.

The lips, slightly upturned at the corners and firm,
feel gentle yet powerful.
The balance of the 3.2m tall statue when looked up at from below is exquisite,
and it was a miraculous figure that seemed to answer all worries.

Since you can worship from very close by,
I viewed it from every angle,
and it was a perfect figure from every perspective.

So many Buddha statues! The Treasure Hall where photography is also OK

Many other Buddha statues are enshrined in the Treasure Hall.

Among the Four Heavenly Kings, Dhrtarastra and Virudhaka
were identified as works from the Nara period in a 2012 survey.

Virupaksa and Vaisravana were created in the early Heian period.

The demons (jaki) under the Nara-period Dhrtarastra and Virudhaka
are glossy and very cute.

The demon under Dhrtarastra, in particular, was impressive with its twin-tail-like
dog-ear-like hairstyle and troubled expression.

Furthermore, a Tobatsu Bishamonten (created in the early Heian period / Important Cultural Property) is
also enshrined here.

Speaking of Tobatsu Bishamonten,
it is characterized by the Earth Goddess (Chitennyo) supporting the robust Bishamonten in a state of zen-like detachment,
but here, the two demons Nilamba and Vilamba are absent, and there is only one Earth Goddess.

Moreover, rather than emerging halfway from the earth,
she is depicted in full, sitting in a formal seiza position to support him.

And although the actual statue was not present, I was unexpectedly excited by
the exhibition photo of the Bishamonten currently on loan to the Tokyo National Museum.

The exotic-looking Bishamonten
that I had often met at the Tokyo National Museum over the past few years
was actually a Buddha from Dojo-ji...
I felt a mysterious sense of emotion.

Another triad was also breathtaking.

There was another triad in the Hobutsuden (Treasure Hall).

It is a Shaka Triad created in the Kamakura period.

With matching simple halos and
a Shaka Triad with high cheeks and slightly upturned eyes.
They had a presence that rivaled the main triad.

Furthermore, there is a standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu statue (Important Cultural Property) from the Heian period.
It is a single-wood carving without hollowing, and you can feel its solid weight.

In addition, I was able to view Buddhist statues of Gandharan origin, Buddha footprints,
a statue of Priest Gien, and a Nirvana painting,
making the Hobutsuden alone a highly satisfying experience.

Dojo-ji, the oldest temple in Wakayama, was founded in 701.
Initially, it was a Hosso sect temple said to have been founded by Priest Gien,
and after passing through the Shingon sect, it is now a Tendai sect temple.

One of the oldest existing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu statues in Japan

However, the wonderful Buddhas are not limited to the Hobutsuden.
The standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu statue, the original main deity, is enshrined in the main hall.

A wood-core dry lacquer statue (Important Cultural Property) created in the Nara period.
It was discovered during the main hall repairs in 1987
and is the main deity of the lecture hall, with repairs completed in 1991.

Existing Nara-period Thousand-Armed Kannon statues are extremely rare
and are said to be among the oldest in Japan.

I could not enter the outer sanctuary and viewed it from outside the hall,
but it seems you can enter the main hall during the special spring exhibition.

Furthermore, behind the door at the back of the main hall is enshrined
a hidden Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu statue that is only unveiled once every 33 years.
The next unveiling is said to be in the year 2038.

There is even an 'Afro Buddha' at Dojo-ji!

And at the Nenbutsu-do hall, which I visited last,
I had an unexpected encounter.

Seated Statue of Amida Nyorai in Deep Meditation (Goko Shii)
Wood with lacquer and gold leaf, created in the Edo period (1707)

Since I had just seen it a few weeks earlier at a special exhibition at Tsubaki-dera Jizo-in Temple in Kyoto,
I was surprised to meet it here as well.

The Goko Shii Amida statues at Todai-ji and Gokoin Temple
give the impression of hair growing long to the sides,
but this one has relatively short sides
and more volume towards the top—truly an 'Afro Buddha'.

In the hall, I could also see small statues (presumably) of the Twenty-Five Bodhisattvas riding on clouds on both sides of its large snail-shell curls.

Dojo-ji, also a sacred site for traditional performing arts

By the way, even though Dojo-ji has National Treasure Buddha statues,
the temple's 'main attraction' is arguably the Anchin and Kiyohime legend.

The 'Dojo-ji Engi' (Origin Story of Dojo-ji) has become the subject of many
performing arts, including Noh, Kabuki, Bunraku, and dance,
and the Engi-do hall displays bells, costumes, paintings, and photographs used on stage.
There is also a sermon using a copy of the picture scroll,

allowing you to experience the world of the story more deeply.
Dojo-ji is a place that both Buddha statue fans and traditional performing arts fans can enjoy.

It took five and a half hours one way from Tokyo (I stayed overnight in Osaka on the way there).

It was a long journey, but I can truly say from my heart that I am glad I came.
📌Dojo-ji

1738 Kanemaki, Hidaka-cho, Hidaka-gun, Wakayama Prefecture

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#ThousandArmedKannon #ElevenFacedKannon #ShakaNyorai
#GokoShiiAmidaNyorai #AnchinKiyohime
#BuddhaStatue #BuddhaViewing #BuddhaStatueTour #TempleTour

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