Chuzenji Temple

Chuzenji Temple on the shore of Lake Chuzenji is one of the oldest sites in Nikko, first built by the ascetic Shodo in 784 CE. Its centerpiece is the Tachiki Kannon, a six-meter standing figure that Shodo carved from the living trunk of a katsura tree, making it the oldest surviving statue in Nikko and an Important Cultural Property. When a landslide swept the temple into the lake during the Meiji era, the statue survived and washed ashore; the temple was rebuilt at the landing site. The Hashiri Daikokuten Hall commemorates a deity who appeared running across the water to help Shodo reach the summit of nearby Mt. Nantai. The Godaido Hall above the main hall has a painted ceiling dragon and views over the lake.