Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Mirokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Miroku Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県登米市中田町上沼字弥勒寺寺山63
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 33 years; next unveiling planned for 2031)
GentlenessNobilityMystery
Mirokuji Temple in Kaminuma, Nakada-cho, Tome City, preserves a wooden seated Miroku Nyorai as its principal image. Made of joined hinoki cypress, the 83.6 cm statue dates to the Kamakura period. It has a gentle face, especially a refined profile, and large spiral curls that reflect the influence of Song-dynasty sculpture. Tradition attributes the work to the Nara school of Buddhist sculptors represented by Unkei and Tankei, and the image has long received prayers for abundant harvests. A Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture, it is still affectionately worshiped as “Omiroku-sama.” The principal image is a hidden image unveiled only once every 33 years; the next unveiling is planned for 2031.
Juhachiya Kannon Hall (Jozo-in Kannon Hall)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Bosatsu (Juhachiya Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県仙台市太白区長町1丁目7-34
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled every three years during the May 3 festival; unveiled on May 3, 2026)
MysteryNobilityDepth
Juhachiya Kannon Hall in Nagamachi, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, preserves a wooden standing Bodhisattva as its principal image. The 138.5 cm statue is carved from a single block of kaya wood and is thought to date from the late 8th to early 9th century, spanning the end of the Nara period and beginning of the Heian period. Its narrow abdomen, high-waisted proportions, and gently S-shaped stance with the chin and shoulders drawn back preserve an early style of wooden Buddhist sculpture; it is regarded as the oldest surviving wooden Buddhist image in Tohoku. The exact identity of the deity is unknown, but locally it has long been worshiped as Kannon and serves as the principal image of the 32nd temple of the Sendai Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. The original is normally held on deposit at Sendai City Museum and returns to the hall every three years for unveiling on May 3.
Kosenji Temple
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai (Komatsu Nyorai) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県仙台市太白区秋保町長袋字二ノ輪山67
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled each year at the Komatsu Amida Nyorai Festival on Sports Day; in 2026, October 12)
WarmthPeacefulnessDepth
Kosenji Temple in Nagafukuro, Akiu, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, preserves an Amida Nyorai known as “Komatsu Nyorai” or “Komatsu Amida Nyorai.” Tradition says it was the guardian image of Taira no Shigemori, eldest son of Taira no Kiyomori. A branch of the defeated Taira clan is said to have moved to this area, enshrined the Amida image, and prayed for the repose of the Taira clan; this is said to have been the origin of the temple. The image continues to receive local devotion. Each year on Sports Day, the Komatsu Amida Nyorai Festival is held and the principal image is unveiled. The Nagafukuro rice-planting dance, one of the Akiu no Taue Odori traditions designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, is also offered during the festival.
Amidaji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県仙台市若林区新寺3丁目5-3
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (contact the temple about viewing the original principal image)
RefinementNobilityStillness
Amidaji Temple in Shintera, Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, enshrines a wooden standing Amida Nyorai as its principal image. The 78.3 cm statue is made of joined hinoki cypress and dates to the Kamakura period. Its firm, intelligent face, relaxed body, and concise robe folds are distinctive; the Y-shaped drapery emphasizing the thighs especially reflects the style of Kaikei’s school. Sendai City’s temple guide introduces the image as bearing an inscription dated 1221. A Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture, it remains the principal image of Amidaji, a temple associated with Ippen, founder of the Ji school. Because no official regular viewing schedule for the original image has been confirmed, advance contact with the temple is recommended.
Sorinji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Statues of Jikokuten and Zochoten Category Tenbu (Deva)
宮城県栗原市築館薬師台1-1
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled every May 8–9, 9:00–16:00; last admission 15:30; no reservation required; admission 300 yen)
PowerDignityTense Presence
Sorinji Temple in Tsukidate, Kurihara City, preserves two wooden Heavenly Kings: Jikokuten and Zochoten. Both are carved from single blocks of keyaki wood, including the demons trampled beneath their feet. Jikokuten opens his mouth in the agyo expression, while Zochoten bares his teeth in the ungyo expression, each powerfully pinning down a demon. Tradition says the temple once had a complete set of the Four Heavenly Kings, including Komokuten and Tamonten, but two were lost in a fire, leaving the present pair. Made in the Heian period, the statues combine archaic features with dynamic movement and are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. They are normally closed to the public but can be viewed during the annual May 8–9 unveiling.
Enryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals Category Tenbu (Deva)
宮城県柴田郡柴田町入間田寺35
Visiting Status Viewing available (9:00–16:00; ask the temple to unveil the images; advance contact recommended because viewing is unavailable when the priest or deputy priest is absent)
PowerDignityTense Presence
Enryuji Temple in Irumada, Shibata Town, preserves a group of standing statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals, the guardian deities of Yakushi Nyorai. The painted figures are carved from single blocks of katsura wood and stand about 38 cm high. Though small, they are distinguished by fierce, dignified expressions and dynamic poses. Miyagi Prefecture records that one figure has a Nio-like form and bears an ink inscription dated 1405 on its back, making the group an important example of regional Buddhist sculpture from the Muromachi period. The group is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture and has been preserved at Enryuji together with the standing Yakushi Nyorai. Visitors may ask the temple to unveil them between 9:00 and 16:00.
Odakesan Kofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県登米市南方町本郷大嶽18
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 33 years; next date to be confirmed)
MysteryStillnessDepth
The Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined as the principal image of the Kannon Hall at Odakesan Kofukuji Temple in Minamikata, Tome City. Affectionately called “Odake no Kannon-san,” it has long been revered as the 10th temple of the Oshu Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. Temple tradition says Sakanoue no Tamuramaro founded the hall to pray for those who died during his campaigns in the north. The inner sanctuary bears the Date family’s bamboo-and-sparrow crest, and the hidden Eleven-Faced Kannon is enshrined deeper inside. The principal image is unveiled only once every 33 years. The outer walls of the hall preserve colorful carvings based on the Chinese Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, and together with the hexagonal hall in the grounds, the temple is also known as a sightseeing spot in Tome.
Tokuraji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県角田市小田字斗蔵95
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (hall viewing 10:00–15:00; individuals 300 yen; high-school students and younger free)
SolemnityPowerMystery
Tokuraji Temple’s Kannon Hall stands near the summit of Mt. Tokura in southwestern Kakuda and enshrines a wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu. The temple is the fourth stop of the Oshu Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage and is traditionally said to have begun when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro enshrined a Thousand-Armed Kannon here in 807. Inside the hall are the city-designated wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon, the Twenty-Eight Attendants, and the Wind and Thunder Gods, creating a distinctive space where mountain worship and Kannon devotion overlap. The temple’s separate principal image is a hidden bronze Thousand-Armed Kannon kakebotoke, which is not open to the public. Viewing the hall, including the wooden Kannon, requires advance reservation, and visitors walk about 400 m from the hillside parking area to the hall.
Mount Sasakura (Mount Omori)
Buddhist Image Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県黒川郡大和町宮床笹倉
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (visiting the summit Yakushi Hall is possible; Taiwa Town records say the original image is unveiled once every five years; next unveiling to be confirmed)
MysteryPowerDepth
An iron Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined in the Yakushi Hall at the summit of Mount Sasakura, also called Mount Omori, one of the peaks of Nanatsumori in Taiwa Town. Tradition says that on April 8, 1762, Yamaki Kageto and his son Kagenaga, retainers of the lord of Miyatoko, carried the image on their backs to the summit and enshrined it there. Each peak of Nanatsumori has a Yakushi Nyorai, and the practice of visiting all seven in a single day, known as Nanayakushi-gake (the Seven Yakushi Pilgrimage), continues today. Every May 8 the Omoriyama Yakushi Nyorai Festival is held; after prayers at the trailhead for health and safe climbing, participants ascend to the summit to worship. Taiwa Town records state that the iron image is unveiled once every five years, including an unveiling in 2018.
Fukuoji Temple
Buddhist Image Bishamonten Triad (Bishamonten, Kisshoten, Zennishi Doji) Category Tenbu (Deva)
宮城県角田市鳩原字寺44
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled in the first Year of the Tiger after a new head priest takes office)
DignityMysteryPower
Fukuoji Temple’s Bishamon Hall in Hatohara, Kakuda City, enshrines an unusual Bishamonten triad. The central Bishamonten stands 84.7 cm high and is flanked by Kisshoten and Zennishi Doji; the group is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Kakuda City. Tradition says that in the early Edo period, Date Masamune’s retainer Katahira Shindayu brought the Bishamonten he worshiped as a guardian image when he moved to this area, and another tradition attributes the statue to Unkei of the Kamakura period. Around Fukuoji, centipedes came to be regarded as attendants of Bishamonten because they were believed to protect sericulture from mice, leading to the offering of more than 20,000 centipede ema. The triad is hidden and is traditionally unveiled in the first Year of the Tiger after the appointment of a new head priest.
Konpoji Temple (Nonodake Kannon)
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県遠田郡涌谷町箟岳字神楽岡1
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 33 years; next unveiling planned for 2041)
MysterySolemnityDepth
The Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined as the principal image of the Kannon Hall at Konpoji Temple on Mount Nonodake in Wakuya Town. Konpoji is the ninth temple of the Oshu Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, and Nonodake Kannon is counted among the Three Great Kannon of Oshu together with Makiyama Kannon in Ishinomaki and Tomiyama Kannon in Matsushima. Temple tradition says Sakanoue no Tamuramaro founded the temple in 807, and the mountain has long been revered as a sacred place. The principal image is a hidden image unveiled only once every 33 years; the previous unveiling was in 2008 and the next is planned for 2041. Medieval sutras were discovered inside the statue, including a scroll dated 1353.
Kannonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県気仙沼市本町1丁目4-16
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (the temple can be visited; confirm with the temple about viewing the original wooden Amida Nyorai)
GentlenessRefinementDepth
Kannonji Temple in Honcho, Kesennuma City, enshrines a wooden seated Amida Nyorai in its main hall. The 41.8 cm statue is made with joined-block construction and depicts Amida descending to welcome the deceased, with both hands forming the jobon gesho mudra. It is a refined small image with carefully carved spiral hair and a bright, gentle expression, and is thought to have been produced within the Hiraizumi cultural sphere at the end of the Heian period. Tradition says it was once associated with a Kannon hall connected to Mount Murone in Iwate Prefecture. Now a Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture, the image is preserved at Kannonji, an old Tendai temple known as one of the “Three Lamps of Tohoku,” together with Chusonji and Risshakuji, for maintaining an eternal Buddhist flame.
Funagatayama Shrine
Buddhist Image Gilt-Bronze Standing Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県黒川郡大和町吉田字升沢108
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled during the annual Bonten Bayai festival on May 1, around noon)
MysteryNobilityDepth
Funagatayama Shrine in Masuzawa, Yoshida, Taiwa Town, preserves a gilt-bronze standing Bodhisattva as its sacred object. Taiwa Town introduces it as an ancient imported Buddhist image believed to be among the oldest in Tohoku. Normally kept in a secret location, the image is brought into the shrine hall by the priest and unveiled during the annual Bonten Bayai festival on May 1. Worshipers judge the year’s weather and crop prospects from the amount of moisture on the image and pray for a good harvest. A temple once administered the shrine as its betto before the formal separation of Shinto and Buddhism, and the site retains strong traces of shinbutsu-shugo, the historical blending of the two traditions. It is a rare place where an ancient Buddhist image remains linked to agricultural faith within a shrine tradition.
Yanaizu Kokuzoson
Buddhist Image Fukuchiman Kokuzo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県登米市津山町柳津字大柳津63
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 33 years; last unveiled in 2016. In 2026, a newly consecrated maedachi image was specially unveiled from April 12 to May 31)
MysterySolemnityDepth
Fukuchiman Kokuzo Bosatsu is enshrined as the principal image of Yanaizu Kokuzoson in Tsuyama, Tome City. Temple tradition says that in 726, Gyoki carved a Kokuzo Bosatsu about one shaku two sun high while observing the practice of making three bows for each cut, and enshrined it with prayers for peace in the realm and stability of the nation. In 771, Otomo no Yakamochi is said to have worshiped the image and proposed that such a sacred hidden image be unveiled only once every 33 years, a custom that continues today. The 37th unveiling was held in 2016. Revered as a guardian image for people born in the Years of the Ox and Tiger, the temple is also counted among Japan's Three Great Kokuzo sites.
Okufuku-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Bishamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
宮城県栗原市築館字上宮野白坂150
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled on a 33-year cycle; next date to be confirmed)
PowerDignityMystery
A wooden standing Bishamonten is enshrined as the principal image of Okufuku-ji Temple in Kamimiyano, Tsukidate, Kurihara City. Carved from a single block of keyaki wood, the 111.5 cm statue dates to the Heian period. Its strongly twisted waist gives the figure a dynamic pose, and it is regarded as one of the oldest surviving Bishamonten images in Tohoku. Although the pagoda held in the hand and the demon beneath the feet have undergone later repairs and alterations, the main body retains the powerful modeling of the Heian period. Tradition attributes the statue to Saicho, and it was long revered as a guardian of agriculture and a deity of abundant harvests. A Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture, it is normally kept hidden and can be viewed only during its 33-year-cycle unveilings.
Kesoku-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Bato Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県登米市東和町米川字小山下2
Visiting Status The Bato Kannon Hall can be visited (tourism guidance lists 9:00–17:00; direct viewing of the principal image should be confirmed)
WarmthPowerDepth
Bato Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined as the principal image of the Bato Kannon Hall at Kesoku-ji Temple in Yonekawa, Towa, Tome City. Tradition says Kesoku-ji was founded around the year 800 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, and it is known as the 15th temple of the Oshu Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. Bato Kannon has long been revered as a protector of horses and today also attracts devotion as a compassionate Kannon associated with animals. Numerous ema votive plaques offered since the Edo period remain in the grounds, preserving the history of faith that linked horses, livestock, and people's daily lives.
Kobari Yakushi Hall
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県角田市稲置字小針
Visiting Status The Yakushi Hall can be visited; direct viewing of the principal image should be confirmed
WarmthPeacefulnessDepth
A wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined as the principal image of Kobari Yakushi Hall in Inoki, Kakuda City. The joined-block statue is about 110 cm high and bears an ink inscription from 1254, in the mid-Kamakura period. The inscription records the names of numerous people who made offerings and the number of times they recited the nenbutsu, providing valuable evidence of medieval popular religious practice. The original Yakushi Hall stood in rice fields to the west but was moved to the present hill during the Meiji period to avoid flooding. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture, the image continues to be preserved in Kobari as the locally beloved “Yakushi-sama of Inoki.”
Asahiyama Kannon Hall
Buddhist Image Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県石巻市北村字朝日山
Visiting Status Visits are generally possible at any time without a reservation; check current on-site conditions
GentlenessPeacefulnessStillness
The Sho Kannon Bosatsu is the principal image of Asahiyama Kannon Hall, which stands on the middle slopes of Mount Asahi in a prefectural natural park in Kitamura, Ishinomaki City. The hall was built in 1938 to pray for the repose of deceased schoolchildren and war dead, and the Sho Kannon image was created by sculptor Kunikata Rinzo. The hall stands out from the hillside and is surrounded by a corridor where visitors can worship the Kannon. The image has been revered in prayers for children’s healthy growth and for the repose of children who died young. Mount Asahi is also popular for hiking and walking, allowing visitors to experience natural scenery together with a place of prayer.
Jokaku-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県仙台市若林区新寺3丁目10-12
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (contact the temple regarding viewing the Wooden Sho Kannon Bosatsu)
RefinementNobilityStillness
Jokaku-ji Temple in Shintera, Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, preserves a wooden Sho Kannon Bosatsu statue dating to the Heian period. Carved from hinoki cypress and standing 165 cm high, the image has a thick neck, taut body, large ears, and flowing drapery. A distinctive feature is the celestial scarf wrapped partly around the wrist, an unusual treatment with few parallels. It is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture. Jokaku-ji is also the 16th temple of the Sendai Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, carrying forward Kannon devotion in Shintera, the temple district formed in the castle town of Sendai.
Ankoku-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県大崎市古川柏崎字安国寺7
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (the temple can be visited; contact the temple regarding viewing the Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai)
RefinementNobilityStillness
Ankoku-ji Temple in Furukawa Kashiwazaki, Osaki City, preserves a wooden seated Amida Nyorai. The 69.7 cm statue is made of joined hinoki cypress, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, and fitted with crystal eyes. Dating to the Nanbokucho period, it shows the influence of Song-dynasty sculpture in features such as its low ushnisha. Although the sculptor is unknown, the image is thought to have been made by a Buddhist sculptor in the lineage of Unkei, and the face preserves the taut modeling of the original carving. Ankoku-ji was one of the temples established throughout Japan by Ashikaga Takauji to pray for those killed in war and for peace in the nation. The image has been preserved here as the temple’s principal image and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture.