Omido Kannonji Temple

This temple traces its origins to an imperial edict issued over 1,300 years ago, and at its height comprised thirty-three structures. A 1437 fire destroyed nearly all of them, and only the main hall was rebuilt. The principal object of worship is an Eleven-Headed Kannon statue enshrined here since 744, one of only seven such statues designated National Treasures in Japan. Its features are serene and finely detailed. The surrounding grounds include cherry trees that bloom in spring and notable autumn foliage. The main hall also holds an eshingyo, a picture sutra in which the text of the Heart Sutra is rendered using pictographs for those who could not read, a practice that became common in the Edo period.