Visit Japan Web Hasedera Temple
Visit Japan Web invites you to explore Hasedera Temple. It belongs to the Jodo sect and is renowned for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The gilded wooden statue, standing at 9.18 meters, is considered one of the largest wooden sculptures in Japan and is housed in the temple’s main building, the Kannon-do Hall. It was carved from the same tree as the Kannon statue worshipped at Hasedera Temple in Nara Prefecture.
Next to the main hall is the Kannon Museum, a small museum with an additional entrance fee. It showcases more of the temple’s treasures, including Buddhist statues, a temple bell as well as a picture scroll. The explanatory signs are in Japanese, but an English pamphlet with basic explanations is available. On the opposite side of the main hall stands the Amida-do Hall. There’s an almost three-meter-tall, golden statue of Amida Buddha.
Hasedera is located along the incline of a forested hill. The primary structures of the temple are located halfway up the slope on a platform. It offers picturesque views of the coastal city of Kamakura. There is also a quaint restaurants where traditional Japanese confections, meals, and beverages are available. Along the staircase leading up the slope stands the Jizo-do Hall. There are hundreds of small statues of the Jizo Bodhisattva, who aids the souls of departed children in reaching paradise.
The temple entrance is at the foot of the incline. A charming garden with ponds greets visitors as they enter the premises. Within the garden, there’s a small temple hall of Benten, the goddess of feminine beauty as well as wealth. Sculptures of Benten and other deities are in a small cave next to the hall.
