Founder’s Hall (Kaisandō)

The Kaisando at Engyoji Temple on Mt. Shosha has held daily Buddhist rituals for over a thousand years. Built in 1007 to enshrine the remains of founding abbot Shoku, the present structure dates to 1673 and is considered a fine example of mid-Edo period freeform temple architecture. The interlocking roof brackets are carved with mythical guardian figures attributed to the celebrated Edo-era sculptor Hidari Jingoro. Researchers who x-rayed the hall's life-sized statue of Shoku in 2008 found what are believed to be actual bones of the abbot inside its head. The hall is a designated Important Cultural Property.