Hokke-ji Temple’s National Treasure Eleven-Faced Kannon Statue Open for Limited Periods from Spring to Autumn
Hokke-ji Temple in Nara, founded by Empress Kōmyō and originally the head provincial nunnery, will offer limited public viewings of its National Treasure Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva statue during spring, early summer, and autumn. The temple preserves the empress's legacy of social welfare, with nuns continuing to maintain the historic site amid challenging conditions.
Located east of the Heijō Palace ruins, where palaces and government offices once stood in the Nara period, Hokke-ji Temple was founded by Empress Kōmyō, the consort of Emperor Shōmu. As the counterpart to Tōdai-ji, the head provincial temple for monks, Hokke-ji served as the head provincial nunnery, overseeing convents and carrying forward the empress’s spirit of dedicating herself to social welfare. Even as the social environment changes and the conditions around the temple grow increasingly severe, the nuns continue to uphold this temple with its solemn history.
Hokke-ji Temple houses the National Treasure Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva Standing Statue, which is opened to the public during spring, early summer, and autumn each year.