EN#4 | Sanjusangen-do: Why Are There 1,001 Statues of Kannon? (Kyoto)

A wooden hall about 120 meters long. Inside, 1,001 golden statues of Kannon stand in rows, and every single one is a National Treasure of Japan.

Who placed them here, and why? The key is Go-Shirakawa, a retired emperor who ruled Japan from behind the throne for more than thirty years. Join me on a journey to Kyoto at the very end of the Heian period.

▼ In this episode

- Emperors, retired emperors, and "rule by retired emperors" (insei)

- Go-Shirakawa and the samurai leader Taira no Kiyomori: from partners to rivals

- 124 statues saved from a fire in 1249, still standing today

- Why 1,001? The meaning behind the number 33

- Toshiya: the famous archery contest of the Edo period

- Tips for your visit: the Kannon you were meant to meet, Hideyoshi's wall, and Go-Shirakawa's tomb

▼ Chapters

00:00 Opening

01:45 Emperors and retired emperors

03:39 Who was Go-Shirakawa?

07:50 Built in 1164, rebuilt in 1266

09:24 Why 1,001?

11:46 The guardians

12:25 An archery contest

13:36 Tips for your visit

15:19 Ending

▼ Full transcript

▼ Next episode

EN#5 | Tenryu-ji: Why Did a Shogun Build a Temple for His Enemy? (Kyoto)

▼ Host

Taiki Arai | An English coach based in Fukui, Japan, currently studying to become a licensed tour guide.

▼ Tour guide requests & messages

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