Konjikido (Hiraizumi)

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The Konjikido is one of the most beautiful and elaborately decorated buildings in the world. It is made of wood entirely covered with gold leaf decorated with imported mother-of-pearl. It was carefully restored from 1962 to 1968 by a team of specialists. It is a square building measuring five-and-a-half meters on each side and eight meters tall. The interior of the building contains three altars, one for each of the first three Fujiwara lords. Originally there were 33 sculptures inside the temple, eleven on each altar, but now one is missing. Each altar had a seated Amida surrounded by standing Kannon and Seishi, six Jizo and two Niten statues. One Niten figure is missing.
The Konjikido formerly sat outdoors in the open air. Later a wooden building was built around it to protect it from the elements. Now it sits in a concrete building behind thick acrylic glass and is only visible from the front.