Statue of Aizen Myo-o 西大寺愛染明王像

Aizen Myo-o is one of the Wisdom Kings in Buddhist belief. The Wisdom Kings are usually represented as angry deities who serve as guardians of the teachings of Buddhism. Carved by the Buddhist priest Zen’en in 1247, this six-armed statue has a wrathful expression and is set off against a circular background by its red color.

The Aizen-Do hall, which houses the statue, has several features. Measuring 14.4 meters wide and 19.8 meters long, the building was moved here from Kyoto in 1762. Originally it was a house owned by the aristocratic Konoe family, and thus has architectural elements of a residence of the upper stratum of society. The central section of the Aizen-Do is divided into the innermost part and the outer part. On the north is a reception area for distinguished visitors and on the south is a memorial area for commemorating successive head priests.