Myōraku-ji also allows visitors to pay homage to the Tadagatake Mountain Range from afar. In the Nara Period, when the famous monk Gyoki came to the temple, he prayed to the principal object of worship — Avalokiteśvara, the thousand-armed Kannon. Again, in the Heian Period, the famous monk Kūkai also came to visit and pray to this statue, or at least that is the story that has been passed down.

Maybe it was due to this that the thousand-armed Kannon of Myōraku-ji was hidden from the public eye, and until recently it could only be seen once every 33 years. That’s how important it was and why the brilliantly shining statue still has its original gold foil covering intact. We are lucky to have a chance to see such a pristine statue in our lifetime.

Just as its name suggests, this Kannon statue has a thousand arms, which all seem to be reaching out to offer salvation to those around it. Its many faces look in every direction and watch out for those it seeks to protect. If you look into every face, there is sure to be one that will resonate with you and save you from your worries and concerns. Behind this Buddhist statue is a plaque that says “Onyu Myojin.” Why is this?

There was a similar plaque located in Wakasa-hime Shrine. Let’s go over what we have learned so far. This land pays homage to the mountains of Tadagatake and the God Onyu Myojin is the god of the mountain. This is the original faith of the people of Wakasa. However, one day, Buddhism was introduced by way of Nara. That influence spread from Onose to Jingu-ji, from Wakasa-hiko Shrine to Wakasa-hime Shrine, until it had grown and expanded through every corner of Onyu. Instead of replacing their old religions, however, they decided to fuse the two together. Since Myōraku-ji is a bit removed from the main routes of the city, this happened later here than in other areas.

The main hall of Myōraku-ji is an important cultural treasure and is the second-oldest building in Wakasa next to Myotsu-ji. The fact that these Kamakura Period buildings still exist to this day attests to the fact this area managed to evade the civil unrest of the Warring States period.