The deity known as "Junten Kannon," also referred to as "Junten Butsumo," is considered to be the mother who gave birth to countless Buddhas and is revered for her blessings in granting children. She is typically depicted with 18 arms, but in the case of the wooden sculpture, she appears in a deformed form with six arms. The exact meaning of the objects held by the upper hands is unclear, but it is believed that the statue was created by Mokushu (the sculptor) in gratitude to a woman who had assisted him during his travels around the country.
This model is based on a wooden sculpture located in the main temple of the Hōkokudera school of the Rinzai Zen sect, Hōkokudera, in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Hōkokudera is the main temple of the Hōkokudera school of the Rinzai Zen sect and was founded by Mubun Gensezenji, a son of Emperor Go-Daigo. As a temple with imperial connections, it suffered relatively minimal damage during the anti-Buddhist movements, and it continues to preserve many cultural treasures. Mubun Gensezenji encountered a storm at sea on his return journey from China, but he was saved by a deity known as "Hansōbō." This deity reappeared during the founding of Hōkokudera, and after Mubun Gensezenji's passing, it was enshrined as the guardian deity of the remote mountain where Hōkokudera is located, gathering strong faith from the local people ever since.