A Thatched Hall Housing a Giant Kannon
The Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple (恵隆寺観音堂, Eiryuji Kannondo) is a late Kamakura-period Buddhist hall in Toji, Aizubange Town, Kawanuma District, Fukushima Prefecture, first designated in 1904 and now an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hall five bays by four, with a hipped thatched roof and a one-bay porch, owned by Eiryuji.
Aizubange Town notes that the hall enshrines the temple's principal image, a standing Thousand-Armed Kannon popularly called the Standing-Tree Kannon of Toji. Eiryuji is Temple 31 of the Aizu thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage.
History
The temple's chronology says Eiryuji moved to its present site in 1190, when the present hall was built. The Agency dates the hall to the late Kamakura period, which differs from the temple tradition.
The same chronology records that the hall was designated under the old system in 1904 and became an Important Cultural Property, along with the principal image, in 1950.
What to Look For
Aizubange Town describes the principal image as a huge statue carved from a single trunk in the early Kamakura period, 7.42 metres tall and 8.5 metres overall. It is separately designated. Flanked by the Twenty-Eight Attendants and the gods of wind and thunder, it makes a magnificent sight.
The temple notes that the twenty-eight attendants are complete, each nearly 2 metres tall. The hall also has an embracing pillar: those who hold it and pray are said to have their wishes granted, and Eiryuji is one of the three Korori Kannon of Aizu.
Outside, the great thatched hipped roof and the one-bay porch at the front define the hall.
Visiting the Kannon Hall
Aizubange Town gives visiting hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and an admission fee of 300 yen. The principal image is specially unveiled on 17 and 18 August at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (about an hour each).
Enquiries go to Eiryuji, 0242-83-3171.
Q&A
- When was the Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple built?
- The Agency dates it to the late Kamakura period; temple tradition gives 1190.
- What is the Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple like?
- A single-storey hall five bays by four, with a hipped thatched roof and a one-bay porch.
- What is enshrined in the Eiryuji Kannon Hall?
- A wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon 7.42 metres tall, known as the Standing-Tree Kannon.
- What are the visiting hours and fee?
- 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 300 yen.
- How is 恵隆寺 read?
- Eiryuji.
Basic Information
| Name | Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple (恵隆寺観音堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Matsubara, Toji, Aizubange Town, Kawanuma District, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1904/2/18 (Meiji 37) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Five by four bays, single storey, hipped thatched roof, one-bay porch |
| Owner | Eiryuji Temple |
| Public Access | Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 300 yen |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/219
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kannon Hall of Eiryu-Ji Temple (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/199149
- Aizubange Town: Thousand-Armed Kannon (Japanese)
- https://www.town.aizubange.fukushima.jp/soshiki/30/292.html
- Eiryuji: Statues and History (Japanese)
- https://tachikikannon.jp/assets-and-history/
Last verified: 2026.09.28