Sanjusangendo Temple

In the game

Sanjusangendo Temple is a landmark in Kyoto in Rise of the Ronin. The game's view runs along the outer veranda of the temple's endless wooden hall, its dark pillars and boarded walls stretching away into the distance.

The real place

Sanjūsangen-dō, founded in 1164 and rebuilt in 1266, is about 120 metres long, the longest wooden temple building in Japan, and holds 1,001 statues of the goddess Kannon. In the Edo period archers held the Tōshiya contest on its west veranda, shooting arrows along its full length from dusk to dusk.

Visiting

Photography is not allowed inside the hall, so take your time with the rows of golden statues and save the camera for the veranda outside. In mid-January the temple hosts an archery event, with young archers in kimono shooting at targets in the grounds.

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