Dojoji Temple

Dojoji is a Tendai-sect temple in Hidakagawa Town, Wakayama Prefecture. Its principal image is the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and it is widely known as the setting of the legend of the monk Anchin and Kiyohime, which inspired Noh, Kabuki and puppet plays. The whole precinct is a National Historic Site.

Temple tradition says it was founded in 701, and excavations suggest a temple existed in the early 8th century, making it the oldest in Wakayama. The main hall, thought to date from 1357, and the Nio gate are Important Cultural Properties. The Treasure Hall displays National Treasures: a Thousand-Armed Kannon statue with 44 arms, made in the early Heian period.

In the Engi-do hall, staff unroll a picture scroll and tell the story of Anchin and Kiyohime (about 20 minutes, daily, no reservation for individuals). Allow one to one and a half hours. It is about 7 minutes on foot from JR Dojoji Station.