What would you do if you had the longest wooden building in the world?

Well, the Japanese have a few amazing answers to this question!

1) Name the building Sanjusangendo Temple (aka Rengeo-in Temple) and locate it in Kyoto.

2) Fill the building with 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. But, be regimented. Put the 1000 smaller statues in ten rows of fifty on either side of the awe-inspiring largest statue.
Each statue must have a slightly different face so that it will be said that you can find your own image or that of your neighbor if you look long enough.

3) Construct 28 guardian statues from wood to guard the 1001 Kannon statues. Be sure to give them crystal/stone eyes for a creepy effect.

4) Hold an archery contest there every January called Toh-shiya.

Side note: Originally begun in the Edo Period to allow samurai to show their prowess, the contest continues today as a coming of age ceremony. One of the prizes used to go to the archer with the largest number of arrows hitting the target during a 24-hour period. I think I read on a sign that the record was 8133 hits. That's over 5 hits per minute ALL DAY!! Although, they did have some old ceiling beams on display showing where thousands of arrows had missed their marks. :) Nowadays, the contest is ceremonial and each participant only shoots a few arrows.

The outside of Sanjusangendo.


Unfortunately, they did not allow photography inside this temple. I found a link with some decent pictures scanned in from postcards though. Sanjusangendo Temple Pics