# Sanjusangen-do, Kyoto > Sanjusangen-do is a Kyoto temple whose hall, about 120 metres long, holds 1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon. The 1266 hall is Japan's longest wooden building and a National Treasure. Entry is about ¥600. It opens roughly 8:30–17:00, and 9:00–16:00 from 16 November. Photography is not allowed inside. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/sanjusangen-do - City: [Kyoto](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto), Japan - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Approximately 8:30–17:00 (1 April–15 November); 9:00–16:00 (16 November–31 March) - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: About ¥600; students ¥400 and ¥300 - Summer hours: 1 April–15 November: about 8:30–17:00 - Winter hours: 16 November–31 March: 9:00–16:00 - Highlight: 1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon - Rules: Shoes off; no photos inside - Getting there: Bus 86, 206 or 208 from Kyoto Station; Shichijo station 7 minutes - Coordinates: 34.98788, 135.77171 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1,001** — statues of the thousand-armed Kannon in the main hall (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈120 m** — the hall's length — Japan's longest wooden building (source: travel guides) - **1266** — the year the present hall was built (source: en.wikipedia) - **1164** — the year the temple was founded (source: en.wikipedia) - **33** — bays between the columns — hence the name (source: en.wikipedia) - **28** — guardian deities in front of the statues (source: en.wikipedia) - **Tendai** — the Buddhist school the temple belongs to (source: en.wikipedia) - **January** — an archery contest on the temple veranda (source: en.wikipedia) ## What is Sanjusangen-do? **Sanjusangen-do**, the 'hall of thirty-three bays', officially **Rengeo-in**, is a Buddhist temple of the **Tendai** school in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. It was founded in **1164** by the powerful samurai Taira no Kiyomori for Emperor Go-Shirakawa. The present main hall was built in **1266**. At about **120 metres** long, it is Japan's longest wooden building and a National Treasure. The name comes from the 33 bays between the columns along its front. Inside, in rows, stand **1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon**, the goddess of mercy, with a large principal Kannon seated in the centre. > **No photography** Photography is banned inside the hall — phones and cameras alike — and attendants watch for it. Shoes come off at the entrance, and you walk the length of the statues in socks. Outside, in the courtyard and by the veranda, photos are fine. ## What's inside the hall The Kannon statues stand in ten tiered rows, 500 on each side of the seated principal figure. They are carved from wood and covered in gold; most were made by sculptors of the Kei, En and In schools in the 13th century. It's said that among the thousand faces you can find one that resembles someone you love. In front of the rows stand **28 guardian deities**, and at the ends **Fujin** and **Raijin**, the gods of wind and thunder. All of these, like the principal Kannon, are National Treasures of Japan. ## What to see - **1,001 Kannon statues** — ten rows of gilded figures. - **The seated principal Kannon** in the centre of the hall. - **28 guardians** in front of the rows. - **Fujin and Raijin**, gods of wind and thunder. - **The west veranda**, about 120 metres long. - **The garden and pond** beside the hall. ## How to get to Sanjusangen-do 1. **From Kyoto Station** — bus 86, 206 or 208 to Hakubutsukan Sanjusangendo-mae, about 10 minutes. 2. **On foot from the station** — about 20 minutes east. 3. **Keihan line** — to Shichijo station, then about 7 minutes on foot. 4. **Opposite** — the Kyoto National Museum. 5. **To Kiyomizu-dera** — about 20 minutes uphill on foot. ## Sanjusangen-do or Kiyomizu-dera | | Sanjusangen-do | Kiyomizu-dera | | --- | --- | --- | | Highlight | 1,001 statues inside a hall | A wooden stage and views | | Weather | All under a roof | Best on a clear day | | Photos | Not inside | Allowed | | Time | 30–45 minutes | 1–1.5 hours | ## How long do you need? Allow **30–45 minutes** for Sanjusangen-do: walk past the statues, then round the veranda and garden. The temple is close to Kyoto Station, so it works well as the first or last stop of the day, before climbing to **Kiyomizu-dera** or carrying on to Gion. The hall is entirely under cover, which makes it a good choice for a rainy day. Groups are fewer at opening time. In January, usually on a Sunday around the middle of the month, a large archery contest takes place on the west veranda, with young people who turn 20 that year taking part. It is very crowded that day. ## Is Sanjusangen-do worth visiting? Yes: a thousand gilded statues in a single hall is a sight you won't find anywhere else in Japan. The YesGo take: from outside the temple looks modest, and you can't take photos inside, so many people walk past. That's a mistake — it's worth going in, especially if you're heading to Kiyomizu-dera anyway. Inside it's cool, dim and quiet, and the point is the sheer scale of the hall. We took prices and hours from guides, because the temple's official site didn't load when we checked. Double-check the times from 16 November in particular, when the temple switches to winter hours. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] About ¥600 for entry - [ ] Socks — no shoes in the hall - [ ] Phone away — no photos - [ ] Winter hours from 16 November - [ ] Kiyomizu-dera next ## Kyoto temples: compare and choose Temples and shrines in Kyoto rated by YesGo. - [Fushimi Inari Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/fushimi-inari) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · free - [Kiyomizu-dera](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/kiyomizu-dera) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ ¥500 - [Kinkaku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/kinkaku-ji) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥500 - [Yasaka Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/yasaka-shrine) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Philosopher's Path](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/philosophers-path) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · free - [Sanjusangen-do](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/sanjusangen-do) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · about ¥600 - [Ryoan-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/ryoan-ji) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥600 - [Arashiyama](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/arashiyama) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · grove free; Tenryu-ji garden ¥500 ## Eastern Kyoto in a day The thousand statues of Sanjusangen-do in the morning, the Kiyomizu-dera stage in the afternoon, and the lanes of Gion in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Sanjusangen-do](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/sanjusangen-do) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · about ¥600 2. [Kiyomizu-dera](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/kiyomizu-dera) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ ¥500 3. [Gion](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/gion) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Good to know Sanjusangen-do is often called the 'temple of a thousand Buddhas', though the statues depict the bodhisattva Kannon. It is also written Sanjusangendo. ## Tips - No photos inside. - Shoes off at the entrance. - From 16 November: 9:00–16:00. - Good on a rainy day. - Next: [Kiyomizu-dera](https://yesgo.io/japan/kyoto/kiyomizu-dera), 20 minutes on foot. ## Questions ### How much is entry to Sanjusangen-do? About ¥600 for adults, ¥400 and ¥300 for students — according to guides. ### What are the opening hours? Roughly 8:30–17:00 from April to 15 November and 9:00–16:00 from 16 November to March. ### How many statues are there? 1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon, plus 28 guardians, Fujin and Raijin. ### Can I take photos? Not inside the hall; outside is fine. ### How do I get there? Bus 86, 206 or 208 from Kyoto Station, about 10 minutes. ### Why the name? 'Sanjusangen' means the 33 bays between the hall's columns. ### How long do you need? 30–45 minutes. ### What's nearby? The Kyoto National Museum opposite and Kiyomizu-dera 20 minutes away. ## How we checked History, the statues and their National Treasure status are from Wikipedia. Prices and hours are from guides, so they are marked 'being checked': sources disagree on the opening time (8:00 or 8:30). Buses and walking times are from guides. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Sanjūsangen-dō — founding, the 1266 hall, statues, Toshiya - Travel guides — prices, seasonal hours, hall length, buses (unofficial; the official site sanjusangendo.jp didn't load on 09.11.2026) - Wikidata Q653319 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.