Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto: Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the Buddhist Meaning of “33”

Sanjusangen-do Hall, officially known as Rengeo-in, stands in the heart of Kyoto and is famed for its extraordinary length and Buddhist symbolism. This hall was constructed in 1164 by the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192, 後白河天皇), with financial support from the powerful samurai leader, Taira no Kiyomori, as a prayer for the peace and prosperity of the nation and its people.

The remarkable wooden structure stretches 121 meters and is defined by the 33 intervals between its pillars, from which its name is derived. Inside stand 1,001 life-sized statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva, the deity of mercy. In Buddhism, the number 33 represents Kannon’s thirty-three manifestations, through which compassion is extended to all living beings. In this way, the name of Sanjusangen-do embodies Emperor Go-Shirakawa's spiritual wish.

Emperor Go-Shirakawa’s Life was Full of Tumultuous Events

During the late Heian period (794-1185), a time when the samurai were rising to prominence. Emperor Go-Shirakawa unexpectedly ascended the throne at the age of 28, serving as a transitional ruler for his own son. Born as the fourth prince, he had never been expected to inherit the imperial crown. As a result, he enjoyed a relatively carefree youth, devoting himself to imayo (popular songs), and venturing beyond the imperial palace to mingle with ordinary townpeople and listen to their voices. This free-spirited lifestyle continued even after his succession.

After abdicating the throne, he was known as Go-Shirakawa-in, in accordance with the custom of calling retired emperors in. From this position, he continued to exert significant influence for more than three decades, spanning the reigns of five emperors until his death at the age of sixty-six.

A Hotchpotch Life of Go-Shirakawa, but He Was Quite Serious

Emperor Go-Shirakawa became deeply embroiled in complex power struggles involving the imperial family, the influential sekkan families (the Fujiwara regents), and the emerging samurai class. Remarkably, his insei (cloistered rule) was suspended twice, and on both occasions, he was under confinement and house arrest.

During his first ordeal, the rising samurai leader, Taira no Kiyomori, came to his aid and helped secure Go-Shirakawa-In’s release. However, the alliance between these two powerful figures soon deteriorated and turned into a fierce political rivalry.

In response, court nobles of the Fujiwara clan who were aligned with Go-Shirakawa-in, plotted an uprising against Kiyomori. The conspiracy was soon uncovered, provoking Kiyomori's wrath: the conspirators were executed, and Go-Shirakawa-in was once again placed under confinement.

Go-Shirakawa-in’s Intelligent Ability to Read Kiyomori’s Wane

In 1180, Kiyomori made history as the first samurai to attain the highest level of political power in Japan. His dominance was founded on three pillars: (a) his formidable military and police power; (b) vast wealth accumulated through trade with the Sung Dynasty; and (c) extensive economic and political influence derived from his control over large shoen (private landed estates).

Kiyomori's authority extended even to the imperial line. He exercised power over two emperors - Emperor Takakura (his nephew) and Emperor Antoku (his grandson). These two emperors were also the son and grandson of Go-Shirakawa-in.

Yet, Go-Shirakawa-in perceived signs of Kiyomori’s declining influence. Drawing on insights gained from his interactions with ordinary people at imayo gatherings, he sensed subtle shifts in public sentiment that foreshadowed the weakening of Kiyomori's grip on power.

Go-Shirakawa-in’s Joyful Ode: A Moment of Liberation

After Kiyomori’s demise at the age of 64, Go-Shirakawa-in sang a blessing called Imayo at the top of his lungs during Kiyomori’s funeral ceremony. This imayo was a widely appreciated song used to express celebration and joy. It appears that Go-Shirakwa-in felt a sense of liberation at last. He recited:

 ”Delightful water, gush of a waterfall, the waterfall never ceases even in the harshest drought.” (Japanese: “嬉しや水、鳴るは滝の水、日は照るとも絶えずうたへ” )

Following this event, his entire family, including his wife and his grandson, Emperor Antoku, met a tragic fate during the Battle of Dannoura at the hands of Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199, 源頼朝) and his brother Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159-1189, 源義経). It's worth noting that Kiyomori had previously taken the life of both Yoritomo and Yoshitsune's father.

Go-Shirakawa-In's Wheeler-Dealing with Minamoto Yoritomo and the Birth of the Kamakura Shogunate

Even after the fall of the Taira clan, peace and tranquility did not come easily to Go-Shirakawa-in. The period was marked by internal conflict within the Minamoto clan, as brothers Yoritomo and Yoshitsune turned against one another.

Seeking to check the rapid rise of Minamoto no Yoritomo, Go-Shirakawa-in initially placed his hopes in Yoshitsune, who had distinguished himself through his brilliant military achievements in the defeat of the Taira clan. He issued an imperial decree ordering Yoshitsune to subdue Yoritomo. Enraged, Yoritomo responded by exerting intense pressure on the court and on Go-Shirakawa-in himself. Fearing entanglement in brother's escalating feud, Go-Shirakawa-in abruptly reversed his stance and issued a new decree calling for the expulsion of Yoshitsune instead. Lacking sufficient political and military support, Yoshitsune was ultimately defeated by Yoritomo in Hiraizumi in Tohoku.

In 1190, Go-Shirakawa-in met Yoritomo for the first time, an encounter that helped restore a fragile peace between the court and the Minamoto leadership. By this time, Yoritomo had established the Kamakura shogunate in Kamakura, marking the birth of Japan's first warrior-led government.

Imayo Reflections: Go-Shirakawa-In's Life and Political Play

In the renowned Ryojin Hisho, a collection of imayo compiled by Go-Shirakawa-in, there exists a profound verse that resonates with the essence of his life:

“Are children born to play or to be played with? When I hear children playing, even my body trembles easily.” (Japanese: 遊びをせんとや生まれけむ 戯れせんとや生まれけん 遊ぶ子供の声聞けば わが身さえこそ動がるれ)

This imayo appears to encapsulate the very spirit of Go-Shirakawa-in’s life. One interpretation of this verse is to live one’s life with an unwavering passion and intensity, much like a child engrossed in play, oblivious to the passage of time. Go-Shirakawa-in, having experienced the tumultuous and unyielding nature of life, found passion in the world of imayo, much akin to a child immersed in their games. His political struggles against the emerging samurai, Kiyomori and Yoritomo, could be linked to a game, “asobi”. However, this contributed to making the samurai gain power and marked a pivotal shift in Japanese political dynamics.

Kannon's Blessing: The Key to Go-Shirakawa-In's 30-Year Prestige at the Imperial Court

How could Go-Shirakawa-In uphold the prestige of the Imperial Court? Several factors contributed to this:

• Go-Shirakawa-In’s remarkable longevity, living up to the age of 66 during a time when such long life spans were uncommon.
• Go-Shirakawa-In built a substantial information network among ordinary citizens by mingling with them at Imayo parties and visiting temples and shrines, something not easily accessible within the Imperial Palace. This network gave him the edge to foresee national trends and act swiftly with insight.
• Go-Shirakawa-In had a distinctive personality like that of a freewheeling child, and his political wisdom was formed through the unexpected opportunity of ascending to the throne.

Throughout his life, Go-Shirakawa-In appeared to be blessed by Kannon. Upon his passing, he was laid to rest beside his wife, Shigeko, at his former residence, now known as Hojuji Temple, located not far from Sanjusangendo. We cordially invite you to visit Sanjusangendo to experience the same blessings that Go-Shirakawa-In sought through his prayers to Kannon.

Emperor Go-Shirakawa Timeline

		Go-Shirakawa	Kiyomori	Yoritomo/Yoshitsune	Period
1118	Taira Kiyomori was born	-	Age=1		Heian
1127	Goshirakawa was born	Age=1	9
1147	Yoritomo was born	20	29	Age=1
1052	"Age of the Final Dharma" was believed to begin in 1052	25
1155	Goshirakwa ascended the throne	29	38
1156	Hogen war, Kiyomori supported Emperor Go-Shirakawa	29	39	10
1158	Go-Shirakawa started his Insei (cloister government)	31
1159	Yositsune was born	32		*Age=1
1159	Heiji war, Kiyomori defeated Yoritomo's father	32	42	13
1160	Yoritomo was exiled to Izu	33	43	14
1161	Prince Takakura was born between Goshirakawa and Shigeko	34
1162	Goshirakawa was forced to stop Insei	35
1164	Sanjyusangendo was built	37
1167	Taira Kiyomori became Grand Minister of State	40	50	21
1168	Emperor Takakura ascended to the throne	41
1177	Shishigatani incident.	50	60
1178	Prince Kotohito of Emperor Takakura and Tokuko, Kiyomori's was born	51
1179	Gosirakawa's Insei was suspended	53
1180	Emperor Antoku ascended to the throne	54
1180	Taira Kiyomori forced to move the palace from Kyoto to Fukuhara	54	63
1180	Kiyomori attacked Kofuku-ji and Enryoaku-ji temples	54	63
1180	Kiyomori's rival, Yoritomo raised an army to attack Kiyomori & his family	54	63	34/*22
1181	Goshirakawa's Insei restarted due to the retired Emeperor Takakura's death	55	64
1181	Kiyomori died of deceases	55	64	35
1183	Goshirakawa gave Yoshinaka his imperial order to hunt down Kiyomori’s remaining family	57
1183	Kiyomori's family escaped from Kyoto	57
1183	Goshirakawa got angry about Yoshinaka warrior's outrage in Kyoto, but conversely he was trapped.	57
1183	Yoritomo's borther Yoshitsune released Goshirakawa	57
1183	Goshirakawa gave Yoshitsune an Imperial order to expel Taira Kiyomori's family	57
1185	Kiyomori's family fell at the Dannoura War	59		39/*27
1185	Goshirakawa gave Yoshitsune an Imperial order to hunt down Yoritomo	59
1185	Goshirakawa gave Yoshitsune an Imperial order to hunt down Yoshitsune	59
1185	Goshirakawa appointed Yoritomo as the military and police power and approved as the ruler of eastern Japan	59
1185	Minamoto Yoritomo established Kamakura Shogunate	66		46	Kamakura
1189	Yoshitsune died	63		43/*31
1192	Goshirakawa passed away	66

Recommendations to visit

Sanjyusangendo-Hall

• Access: 10 minutes from Kyoto Station. Take Bus # 100, #206, or #208 and get off at "Sanjyusangendo-mae (三十三間堂前)" bus stop.