Principal Image: Wooden Statue of Kannon with Thousand Hands

【A giant statue of compassion that resides in a single tree】 The thousand-year prayer carved in "Eikyu-ji's Rokkakudo"

Standing in Aizubashimachi, west of the Aizu Basin, is "Eikyu-ji." At its center, the Kannon Hall breathes with a majestic form of prayer that overwhelms those who see it. For over 1200 years since its founding, its presence has watched over this land, a true "miracle of wood" born from the deep faith of Aizu and the dedication of craftsmen.

■ Carved from a single tree while remaining rooted, the vitality of one wood

The main image, the "Wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon Statue," stands approximately 8.5 meters tall. It boasts one of the largest sizes in Japan as a one-piece wooden statue (carved from a single tree).

• Legend of Kukai: It is said that Kobo Daishi (Kukai) carved it directly from a giant tree while it was still rooted, and it has long been cherished as the "Rokkakudo Kannon."
• Impressive guardian deity: Inside the hall, twenty-eight guardian deities surround the main image, along with statues of the wind god and thunder god. The power emanating from the thirty-three statues that rise in the darkness is truly breathtaking.

■ The "hugging pillar" that heals people across eras

The large pillar in the corridor of the Kannon Hall is known as the "hugging pillar," where many worshippers once clung to it, entrusting their heartfelt wishes.

• Inherited faith: The pillar, which shines black from the many hands that have touched it, is imbued with the earnest wishes and memories of gratitude from generations of people.

In the precincts where the scenery of old Japan remains, experience a moment of overwhelming compassion radiating from a single tree. Would you like to feel the thousand-year prayer that blends into the air of Aizu?