The Principal Image
Shisoku-Hatcho Kannon (四足八鳥観音), the temple's principal image
The temple's principal image is a uniquely iconographic form of Nyoirin Kannon, seated not on a lotus in the usual manner, but on the back of a mythical bird with eight heads and four legs — hence its name, "Shisoku-Hatcho Kannon" (literally, "four legs, eight birds"). Dendrochronological inscription found during an 1996 restoration dates the statue to 1145, in the late Heian period. It is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Mie Prefecture, and remains a secret Buddha (hibutsu), opened to view only once during each head priest's tenure.
History
According to temple tradition, Kannon-ji was founded in 727 by Emperor Shōmu, who venerated a Nyoirin Kannon said to have appeared at the port of Ono. The temple later came under the patronage of three emperors — Go-Nara, Ōgimachi, and Go-Yōzei — serving as a chokuganjo, a temple where prayers were offered by imperial decree. Its lands were restored in 1605 through an appeal to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Visiting
| Address | 1068 Rokuromi, Yokkaichi, Mie 510-0881, Japan |
|---|---|
| Phone | +81 59-345-0565 |
| Sect | Jōdo Shū (Pure Land Buddhism) |
| Pilgrimage | Ise-Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Temple No. 25 |
| By car | About 20 min. from Suzuka IC on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway. On-site parking available. |
| By train | About 20 min. by taxi from Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station, or about 5 min. on foot from JR Minami-Yokkaichi Station. |