Ensan-ji, Buddhist temple in Gifu, Japan.
Ensan-ji is a Buddhist temple in Gifu that holds a Buddha statue over 13 meters (about 45 feet) tall, built around a ginkgo wood core reinforced with bamboo and covered in layers of clay and lacquer. Inside the statue, hundreds of carved Buddhist disciples with individual faces and robes surround a separate Yakushi Nyorai figure.
Construction of the Buddha statue began in 1790 under Priest Ichyuu and continued after his death under his successor, Priest Kohshuu. The project took 42 years in total and was finally completed in 1832.
The temple's name honors the two priests who built it over decades, and their combined names are reflected in the name Ensan-ji. Climbing through the interior of the statue feels like a physical act of devotion, as visitors move upward through the very core of the figure.
The temple is reachable by bus from central Gifu, with a stop near a historic museum that makes it easy to find the entrance. The staircase inside the statue is narrow and steep, so comfortable shoes are helpful for the climb.
Buddhist sutras and sacred texts were pressed into the clay layers between the wooden frame and the outer lacquer surface during construction. These writings are hidden from view but were placed there deliberately as a way to give the statue a spiritual dimension beyond its physical form.
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