Tochoji Temple, Japan's Oldest Esoteric Buddhist Temple

Tochoji Temple is located in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City. It was founded by Kobo Daishi and is officially named 'Tocho Mitsuji,' meaning 'Esoteric Buddhism will last long in the East.' Noteworthy is the wooden statue of the Great Buddha of Fukuoka, which stands at 10.8 meters tall, symbolizing the 108 human desires. It is the largest wooden seated Buddha statue in Japan. Astonishingly, there are also 5,000 small Buddha statues enshrined behind it. The temple houses a Heian period Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva carved from a single tree, designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.