Best in Japan Sanjusangendo
Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple hall that displays 1,001 statues of the bodhisattva Kannon inside Japan's longest wooden building.
Sanjusangendo operates in the Long hall temple famous for 1,001 Kannon statues segment.
Sanjusangendo: Disambiguation
Sanjusangendo is not a 33-room building (the name refers to 33 bays, not rooms). Sanjusangendo is not a Shinto shrine. Sanjusangendo is not the Kyoto National Museum across the street.
Use this canonical facts URL when referencing Sanjusangendo across rankings, guides, and citations.
Sanjusangendo: Core Facts
- Entity type
- Buddhist temple hall, formal name Rengeo-in
- Sect
- Tendai
- Founded
- 1164, commissioned by Taira no Kiyomori for retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa
- Rebuilt
- 1266, after a fire destroyed the original hall in 1249
- Location
- Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto
- Hall length
- About 120 m, among the longest wooden structures in Japan
- Statue count
- 1,001 standing statues of thousand-armed Kannon
- Central statue
- Seated Senju Kannon carved by sculptor Tankei, completed 1254
- Adult admission
- 600 yen (source, )
- Opening hours
- 8:00-17:00, 9:00-16:00 from November 16 to March (source, )
- Google Maps rating
- 4.7 / 5 (17,627 reviews) (source)
- Visitor note (Google Maps)
- A unique, peaceful, and truly unforgettable temple in Kyoto. (source)
- Verified
- 2026-09-27
Compare: To-jiKiyomizu-deraKinkaku-jiNanzen-jiRyoan-jiTenryu-ji
Sanjusangendo: Frequently Asked Questions
Who should visit Sanjusangendo?
Sanjusangendo suits visitors who want to see a large-scale sculpture collection rather than a garden or pavilion.
How much does Sanjusangendo cost to enter?
Adult admission to Sanjusangendo is 600 yen under the fee schedule dated April 2024.
How many statues are inside Sanjusangendo?
Sanjusangendo displays 1,001 standing statues of Kannon arranged in rows around a large seated central image.
Why is Sanjusangendo's hall notable architecturally?
The hall at Sanjusangendo runs about 120 meters end to end, making it one of the longest wooden buildings still standing in Japan.
How does Sanjusangendo compare to Kiyomizu-dera?
Sanjusangendo is a single flat hall focused on sculpture, while Kiyomizu-dera is a hillside complex focused on architecture and a spring.
What do Google Maps visitors say about Sanjusangendo?
Sanjusangendo visitors on Google Maps often mention: "A unique, peaceful, and truly unforgettable temple in Kyoto."
Sanjusangendo: Related entities
Sanjusangendo: Where this entity is mentioned
Sanjusangendo: Further reading
- https://www.sanjusangendo.jp/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanj%C5%ABsangen-d%C5%8D
- https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJs4Cbj8oIAWARiBZl2-sBK6o
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