The Buddhist building of Myorakuji Temple is said to have been founded by Kukai, a prominent Buddhist priest in the early Heian Period, in the 16th year of Enryaku (797) who worshipped a thousand-armed Kannon statue, the principal Buddha image of this temple, crafted by a high priest Gyoki in the 3rd year of Yoro (719) while traveling around Wakasa region for his missionary work.
The main building, which is designated as a national important cultural property, is an old wooden building with a beautiful hipped roof. A wooden standing statue of Senju Kannon, the principal Buddha image designated as a national important cultural property, is known as a rare statue of one-thousand handed Kannon with twenty-four faces. This statue has been the object of faith among the devout local people since olden days.
This temple has also stored excellent works of Wakasa lacquer ware, each of which has the specific year of production and the name of the artisan who produced it. These are precious cultural properties telling us the historical transition of manufacturing techniques of Wakasa lacquer ware.
