The statues of the Four Heavenly Kings standing at the Nandai-mon gate of Chomei-ji temple are not so much dignified as they are cute
In many Buddhist temples, statues of Nio or Shitenno sit at the entrances. Both of these gods are there to protect the temple and its principal image, so they glare at the temple gate and other entrances to prevent bad things from entering the temple grounds. I don't know if it works or not, but that is the way it is supposed to be. The same was true at Chomei-ji Temple in Nerima, which I visited on the day. Guardian deities of the temple's precincts was seated at the Nandai-mon gate.
The four heavenly kings were seated at the south main gate of Chomei-ji Temple. Of the four guardian deities, Jikokuten and Tamonten face the inside of the temple grounds, while Komokuten and Zochoten look outward. As I gazed at them with their large eyes wide open, I felt a little uncomfortable. Most Nioh statues and Shitenno statues are made to look strong, but the Shitenno statues at Chomei-ji are different. They are comically shaped.
Not only are their eyes large, but their heads are large, and their four heads are made to look like characters from a video game, which is a little too cute to be dignified. It is surprising to see a guardian god who is more cute than strong, but when you think about it calmly, it seems appropriate for Japan's "kawaii" culture.
| Dec 2023 ARCHITECTURE TOKYO | |
| CUTENESS GATE ROUND EYE STATUE TABLET TAKANODAI TEMPLE |
Similar photos
PHOTO DATA
No
12544
Shooting Date
May 2023
Posted On
December 9, 2023
Modified On
December 13, 2023
Place
Takanodai, Tokyo
Genre
Architectural Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R V
Lens
ZEISS BATIS 2/40 CF
