TORIN-JI

The Torin-ji temple, of the Rinzai sect, was built in 1614 by the Satsuma clan. It is the oldest wooden building in Okinawa. In the two cages at the entrance stand two Nio statues, called Niirumai here. They date from the 18th century and are also the oldest wooden sculptures in the area. It is rumored that they are the guardians of Ishigaki. Next to the temple is the Shinto shrine Gongen-do which was rebuilt after the tsunami of 1771. The architecture is very different from other temples in the archipelago.