Hase-dera Temple, Kamakura, Japan
Hasedera is a temple of the Jodo sect, famous for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The 9.18 meter tall, gilded wooden statue is regarded as one of the largest wooden sculpture in Japan and can be viewed in the temple’s main building, the Kannon-do Hall. According to legend, it was carved from the same tree as the similarly tall Kannon statue worshiped at the Hasedera Temple in Nara Prefecture.
Adjacent to the main hall is the Kannon Museum, a small museum that requires an additional entrance fee. It exhibits some more of the temple’s treasures, including Buddhist statues, a temple bell and a picture scroll. Explanatory signs are in Japanese, and an English pamphlet with basic explanations is available. On the opposite side of the main hall stands the Amida-do Hall with an almost three meter tall, golden statue of Amida Buddha.
Epic Japan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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