Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Aramo Bishamondo (Former Shofukuji Temple)
Buddhist Image Pair of Wooden Niō Guardians with Red Pigment Category Tenbu (Deva)
熊本県球磨郡あさぎり町深田北1228-1
Visiting Status Free to visit (the guardians stand at the former gate; access to the immediate vicinity may depend on conservation arrangements)
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At the site of the former Shofukuji Temple, now known as Aramo Bishamondo, stands a pair of Niō guardians painted red and measuring approximately 190 cm tall. Positioned on either side of the gate, the two figures embody the forceful expressions traditionally associated with the guardians of Buddhist sacred places. Gates of this kind are unusual in the Kuma region, and local residents affectionately call the statues 'Niō-san.' Unlike the nationally designated Heian-period Bishamonten and Heavenly Kings kept in the hall, these striking guardians can be encountered along the approach. The site is described as freely accessible; the statues' date and sculptors have not been established.
Entsuji Historic Park (Iwamoto Entsuji Temple)
Buddhist Image Stone Images Representing the Shikoku Eighty-eight Sacred Sites Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva / Wisdom King / Deva
熊本県菊池市旭志弁利101
Visiting Status Outdoor park and stone statues normally accessible; upper trail may be steep or overgrown at certain times. Wear sturdy shoes.
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The former grounds of Entsuji Temple, which once flourished under the patronage of the Kikuchi clan, feature a pilgrimage route dotted with Buddhist stone statues among the cliffs and rock recesses behind the main hall. Local residents laid out the route in 1900, modeled on the Shikoku Eighty-eight Sacred Sites pilgrimage. Different images stand beside steps and within natural hollows. The temple's imposing stone gateway, erected during the Edo-period revival using reddish volcanic rock from Mount Aso, is a designated Important Cultural Property of Kumamoto Prefecture. Japan's national tourism interpretation service identifies the statue-lined trail as a highlight of the park. The images can be visited outdoors, but the upper trail can become steep and overgrown, requiring care with footing and weather.
Akitoki Kannon Hall
Buddhist Image Juichimen Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
熊本県球磨郡あさぎり町上南秋時
Visiting Status Normally closed; unveiled during the spring and autumn Sagara Thirty-three Kannon equinox observances. Usually the spring equinox day and the autumn equinox period; confirm the year's dates.
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At Akitoki Kannon Hall, the thirtieth station of the Sagara Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage, stands a wooden Eleven-faced Kannon approximately 156.5 cm tall. Carved from a single piece of cypress, it has an ink inscription beneath the pedestal recording repairs in 1788. Traditionally it was the principal image of Shuhoji Temple, a temple associated with the former Nagasato Castle. Local people have cared for it across generations. After insect damage and an earlier plaster repair to the face, the statue underwent restoration in the 2005 fiscal year. It is a Tangible Cultural Property designated by Asagiri Town. Parking and toilets are provided, and visitors can see the historic image inside the hall on its spring and autumn opening days.
Eikokuji Temple (Ghost Temple)
Buddhist Image Pair of Wooden Niō Guardians (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
熊本県人吉市土手町5
Visiting Status The guardians are normally viewable from the outdoor temple approach; check separate opening arrangements for the main hall and ghost painting.
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Eikokuji, a Soto Zen temple known as the Ghost Temple, was founded in Hitoyoshi in 1408. Flanking the temple's two-story gate, which also serves as a bell tower, stand a pair of wooden Niō guardians, each approximately two meters tall. The open-mouthed Agyo and closed-mouthed Ungyo guard the precincts with imposing expressions as worshippers pass between them. During the Satsuma Rebellion the temple served as a headquarters for Saigo Takamori's forces, and it was rebuilt after suffering fire damage. Although celebrated for a ghost painting, its powerful gate guardians are themselves a memorable sight, featured by the local tourism association. The sculptors and dates of the figures have not been reliably established.
Fukujoji Temple (Kosadake Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-faced Kannon (thought to have originated as Kichijoten) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
熊本県下益城郡美里町甲佐平2110
Visiting Status Advance contact required for entering the main hall; voluntary offering. Confirm any temporary museum loans.
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Fukujoji Temple stands high on Mount Kosa. Its principal image, carved from a single block of kaya wood around the early Heian period, is thought to have originally depicted the goddess Kichijoten. The eleven faces were added later, and the statue came to be worshipped as Kannon. The unusual robes and gentle expression distinguish it from more conventional Kannon images. Recognized as one of Kumamoto's oldest Buddhist sculptures, it received prefectural cultural-property designation in 2025.
Fukujoji Temple (Kosadake Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Shaka Nyorai (Hidden Image) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
熊本県下益城郡美里町甲佐平2110
Visiting Status Normally unveiled only on January 18 each year. On loan to the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art from October 9 to November 29, 2026; not at the temple during the exhibition. Confirm before visiting.
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This nationally designated Important Cultural Property, a standing Shakyamuni image from the Kamakura period, is enshrined in a cabinet on the right side of Fukujoji's main hall. Carved from joined pieces of cypress, its firm expression, rippling folds and traces of early decorative work give it remarkable presence. Temple tradition attributes it to the monk Genshin, although the carving style points to Kamakura-period workmanship. It is normally unveiled only at the annual First Kannon festival on January 18. In autumn 2026, the statue is on display in a special exhibition at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art.
Fukujoji Temple (Kosadake Kannon)
Buddhist Image Bato Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
熊本県下益城郡美里町甲佐平2110
Visiting Status The grounds can be visited; confirm whether the image inside Batō Kannon Hall can be viewed directly. Contact the temple in advance for hall access.
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Inside a hall to the right of Fukujoji's Niō Gate stands a wooden image of Batō Kannon, the Horse-headed Kannon. Designated a cultural property by Misato Town, it has a tightly closed mouth, wide-open eyes and powerful arm muscles, giving it extraordinary vigor. Farmers and livestock keepers in the surrounding area have long revered the image, and residents once brought their cattle and horses to the annual First Kannon festival. It offers both forceful Buddhist sculpture and a close connection with local devotional life.
Ishinuki Ana Kannon Rock-cut Tombs
Buddhist Image Rock-carved Thousand-armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
熊本県玉名市石貫字安世寺2387
Visiting Status Normally open for outdoor viewing; steep steps lead to the site. Follow posted restrictions on entering the chamber.
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Five rock-cut tombs made in the sixth century survive on a hillside overlooking the village of Anzeji in Tamana. Inside the largest, Tomb No. 2, is a relief of Thousand-armed Kannon carved in the early Heian period, centuries after the tomb itself was made. Red and white painted circles at the entrance, stonework resembling a tiled eave and the Kannon image bring ancient burial practices and later Buddhist devotion together in one space. Local residents have preserved it through regular cleaning and offerings of flowers.
Tatsu-butsu (Minna no Mori)
Buddhist Image Tatsu-butsu: Golden Buddha Figures Carved into Living Trees Category Other
熊本県葦北郡津奈木町大字小津奈木（津奈木町役場近く・みんなの森）
Visiting Status Normally accessible as a free outdoor artwork. Visit in daylight; there is no night lighting. One figure was removed due to insect damage, and restoration is planned.
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In the Minna no Mori grove beside Tsunagi Town Hall, golden Buddha figures are carved directly into living ubame oak trees. Contemporary artist Tatzu Nishi created the work in 2017 as part of a community art project, initially placing 33 figures around the forest. Their appearances change with sunlight and tree growth, evoking both memories of the region and hopes for its future. Tsunagi Art Museum reports that one figure was removed because of insect damage and that restoration is planned. Unlike historic temple icons, these sculptures bring Buddhist imagery, prayer and contemporary art together in an outdoor setting.
Zentokuji Temple (Arao Kannon)
Buddhist Image Giant Buddhist Figures, including Kannon, Fudo Myo-o and Enma Category Other
熊本県荒尾市増永2714-5
Visiting Status The outdoor grounds are normally free to visit. Confirm visiting hours with the temple.
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In a residential neighborhood of Arao, a row of concrete figures about six to seven meters high stands shoulder to shoulder against the slope below Zentokuji's main hall. Among them are Kannon Bodhisattva, the fierce Fudo Myoo, Enma, and the wind and thunder deities. Their crowded arrangement and emphatic faces create an extraordinary landscape. More images, including the Seven Lucky Gods, can be encountered farther along the grounds. This is a striking example of modern local devotion expressed through monumental sculpture.
Jishōin Temple (Arao Daishi)
Buddhist Image Arao Daishi: Monumental Seated Kōbō Daishi Category Other
熊本県荒尾市平山2560
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (6:00–17:00 according to the local tourism association); the giant statue can be viewed outdoors.
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At the foot of Mount Shōdai in Arao stands an immense seated statue of Kōbō Daishi, reaching roughly 20 meters including its pedestal. The temple's former head priest, Kodama Shūmyō, made it almost single-handedly over eleven years from 1962 as a prayer for world peace. Repainted in vivid colors, the statue looks out over the city and is visible even from nearby roads. Visitors can stand before it in the temple grounds. The access road is particularly narrow, so drivers should proceed with care.
Oni-no-Jo Daishi Hall (Oni-no-Jo Christian Graveyard Park)
Buddhist Image Stone Kōbō Daishi, About 110 Jizō Statues, and Fudo Myo-o Category Other
熊本県天草市五和町城河原1丁目3159（鬼の城公園一帯）
Visiting Status Normally accessible outdoors free of charge. Park parking for about 100 cars. Take care on the narrow approach and rocky ground.
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Beside Oni-no-Jo Park in Amakusa, around 110 Jizō stone figures stand in a hollow said in local legend to have been formed by a coiled giant serpent. Most were donated between the late Edo and Meiji periods. In the Taishō period, the travelling monk Yamazaki Daikan carved a Fudo Myoo image and inspired the creation of a Kōbō Daishi statue about three meters high. The arrangement of figures along the rocks preserves a distinctive scene of local devotion. Christian gravestones nearby also recall the intertwined religious history of Amakusa.