The temple houses a Senjukannon statue (‘thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy’, Avalokiteshvara) made in the Heian era. It was carved from a single log of Chinese black pine. The statue is only 87 centimeters in height but stands up with a stately atmosphere. In 1904 it was designated as a national treasure. As a “hidden Buddha” it is concealed and can only be seen during the birthday celebrations for Kūkai .
Great Buddhist statue: The carving of the statue started in 1988 and it took 4 years to finish. The statue is 10.8 meters in height and 30 tons in weight. This is the largest statue of a seated Buddha in Japan. Photography of the statue is not permitted.
AloJapan.com