Daigoji Temple in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, is working to restore the Juntei-do Hall's principal image, the Juntei Kannon Bodhisattva statue, which was burned down 17 years ago. A ceremony to enshrine the statue was held at the Kannon Hall of Daigoji Temple on May 18, 2025, with attendees praying for the temple's safe completion.
Kami-Daigo, located on top of a mountain, is said to be the site of Daigoji Temple's founding, but the Juntei-do Hall was destroyed in a fire in 2008 along with the Kannon statue. Daigoji Temple has indicated its intention to once again restore Kami-Daigo, and as a first step, it has decided to create a new Kannon statue.
The Kannon statue will be made by a 43-year-old Buddhist sculptor from Yase Buddhist Craftsmanship (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City). It is planned to be a little over one meter tall and finished in brilliantly colored lacquer and leaf. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2028, and if the Juntei-do Hall can be rebuilt in the future, it will be enshrined there.
On the day, about 200 people, including related parties and believers, gathered. Taking turns taking chisels, people carved out pieces of wood on which was drawn a diagram of what will become the Buddha statue. They took the pieces of wood home with them, as they believed it would create a connection with the Kannon Bodhisattva statue.
Executive Director Ohara Hirotaka (66 years old) said, "It is the first Buddha made at Daigoji Temple, and it is the most important thing to us. With the help of those who have a connection to it, including local people, we would like to pass it on to the next 100 or 200 years from now."
