Wooden Standing Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings (Joruriji)

Guardians of the Nine Amidas

The Wooden Standing Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings (Joruriji) (木造四天王立像) is Late Heian standing statues of the Four Heavenly Kings in the Amida hall (main hall) of Joruriji in Nishi, Kamo-cho, Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, which in 1953 were designated a National Treasure.

According to the Kyoto National Museum, the four kings guard the four directions from the slopes of Mount Sumeru: clockwise from the east, Jikokuten, Zochoten, Komokuten and Tamonten; Tamonten, also worshipped alone, is called Bishamonten.

The museum notes that their refined style places them firmly in the late Heian period, between the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries.

Dating the Statues

According to the museum, only Tamonten differs from the other three: they twist at the waist in lively poses, while it stands almost upright, with a gentler U-shaped scarf before the waist and a different method of joining the wood.

The temple record notes the dedication of a Bishamonten in 1108, but mentions none of the others.

What to Look For

The museum concludes that Tamonten was made as a single image between the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, and that the other three were added some time after 1108 to complete the set.

Notice the differences in pose and drapery between Tamonten and the other three.

Visiting the Wooden Standing Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings (Joruriji)

The Kizugawa City Tourism Association gives Joruriji's hours as 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from March to November and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from December to February; admission is 500 yen.

The temple's buildings are described on the Joruriji group page.