Kimiidera is a major temple in the south of Wakayama City with many things to see inlcuding the tallest wooden Senju Kannon statue.
It is temple number 2 on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, possibly the oldest "circuit" pilgrimage in Japan.
Depending on the route you take it is between 150-190 kilometers from
temple 1, Seigantoji, and it took me 6 days to walk it. This section of the Saigoku follows the Kumano Kodo, so there was plenty to see.
I entered from the small north gate, photo 2, which has a narrow road up to the main temple buildings.
The main entrance, to the south, has a long flight of 231 steps, the final three photos of this post.
Kimiidera is said to have been founded in 770 by a Chinese monk who has been given the Japanese name Tamemitsu Shonin.
According to the legend he saw a ray of light emanating from the top of Mount Namakusa and upon investigating saw a golden, Thousan-Armed Kannon.
He is said to have carved an Eleven-Faced Kannon which is the honzon of the temple, and also enshrined the Thousand-Armed Kannon.
Both are "hidden Buddhas" and are only unveiled every 50 years.
However, in the main hall there are numerous statues not hidden, including the delightful Thousand-Armed Kannon below.
5 of the statues, including the 2 hidden ones, are Important Cultural Properties.
A well-visited Binzaru statue sits on the balcony.
Much of the architecture dates back to the 18th century, but some buildings are much older and are registered as Important Cultural Properties.
The Tahoto-style pagoda, pictured below, dates back to possibly the mid 15th century.
The Bell Tower, photos 20 & 21, is dated to 1588 although was repaired in 1781 and 1937.
The tower Gate, the last three photos of the post, houses a fine pair of Nio and is dated to 1509 and was repaired 50 years later.
Many cherry trees are planted around the temple, with one particular one said to usually be the first cherry tree to blossom in the Kinki region and so is used to make the official start of Ohanami in Kinki.
The temples proper name is Kimiizan Kongoho-ji, and is also named Kongohoji Gokoku-in, but is mostly known by the name Kimiidera, named, it is believed, after the three sacred springs on the mountainside.
At the end of the Heian Period it was favored by Emperor Go-Shirakawa and flourished. In the Kamakura Period it is though the temple supported 500 monks.
When Hideyoshi invaded in 1581 he confiscated all the temple lands and also many historical records were lost.
When a branch of the Tokugawa took over the domain they started supporting the temple and of course during the heyday of the pilgrimage in the Edo Period the temple was very popular.
This modern structure, made of concrete, opened in 2002 and is 25 meters tall.
It houses the 12 meters tall gilded statue of a Thousand-armed Kannon that was completed in 2007.
It was prefabricated by Kyoto sculptor Matsumto Myokei in his studio and then assembled on site around an earthquake-resistant steel and wood frame.
It is claimed to be the tallest wooden statue in Japan, although I have seen the biggest Benzaiten statue down in Kyushu, made by the same sculptor, and it is 18 meters tall, but I guess that includes the base.
From the temple grounds there are great views over Wakanoura, the Bay of Poetry, immortalized in numerous Japanese poems over the centuries. There are quite a few interesting sites there so its well worth a visit. Please check an
earlier post I wrote on Waknoura.
I believe that there is now a small entrance fee, though when I visited it was free. There is also a new cable-car and elevator that allows those who wish to avoid the long climb.
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