Hase-dera Temple, Yokohama

The Hase-dera Temple, also known as Hase-Kannon, is a Buddhist place in Kamakura. Even if the Temple is not located within Yokohama, it is worth the walk to this important historical place. Once there, visitors will find beautiful and peaceful spot rich in culture.

There are no accurate records showing the precise date the Temple was constructed. However, documents show the Temple was built during the Kamakura period, between the late 12th and early 14th centuries. It was a part of the Tendai sect of Buddhism but later became an independent temple of Jodu-shu.

Hase-dera Temple is arguably best known for its wooden statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, an extremely popular deity in Japan. At more than 30 feet tall, it is one of the tallest wooden statues in Japan. The statue has 11 heads representing the different phases in the search for enlightenment.

The statue is said to have been carved in 721 by a monk named Tokudo. At the time, he sculpted two figures. One was enshrined in the city of Nara. The other, held at Hase-dera Temple, was placed in the sea and washed up on the shore near Kamakura in 736.

There are seven buildings in the Temple's complex, a cave, hundreds of Jizo statues, and two pilgrimage paths.