History

　Mercy and compassion (Jihi in Japanese) is very important concept in Buddhism. Ancient Buddhist people expressed the saints of maximum mercy and compassion as a figure with many hands. The saint is called ‘Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara Sahasrabhuja’ in India or ‘Senju Kannon Bosatsu’ in Japan.
His name means a thousand-armed saint watching the voice of world to rescue. He is one of the most popular Buddhist saints in China, Korea and Japan.

It was in 735 A.D. that a copy of the essential text of this saint was officially brought to Japan by the return of the 10th Japanese envoy to Sui dynasty of China. The text was called ‘Senju Kannon darani kyo’. Japanese people understood everything about the thousand-armed saint, such as the reason why he has thousand hands, what tools he has, and which tool they should pray to, depending on their wishes.

The construction of Dojoji had been started in 701 and people were about to install some holly statues there.
When they learned the brand-new text of the thousand-armed saint, they decided to make a statue of him. This statue is still standing in the main building of Dojoji, and estimated as the first or second oldest existing statue of Thousand-armed Kannon in Japan.

The old and big sculptures, including 3 national treasures, 13 important cultural assets, 5 prefectural assets are installed in Hobutsuden Museum. It is open everyday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Senju kannon bosatsu National treasure 9c. Height 3.2m	Nikko bosatsu National treasure 9c. H 2.52m	Gakko bosatsu National treasure 9c. H 2.42m


Eleven-faced Kannon Important Cultural Asset 10c. H1.32m	Shichimen Bishamonten Important Cultural Asset 9c. H1.86m	Komokuten Important Cultural Asset 10c. H2.46m

Tobatsu Bishamonten Important Cultural Asset 10-11c. H2.35m	Shaka nyorai Prefectural Asset 12-14c. H2.26m	Zochoten Important Cultural Asset 10c. H1.86m