Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Taiguji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Eleven-Headed Kannon Bosatsu (Setaka Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県弘前市大字新寺町26
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (8:00-17:00)
SolemnityDignityNobility
Taiguji Temple's principal image is a monumental standing Eleven-Headed Kannon about 5.95 m high, created in 1677. Known as the Setaka Kannon, it is the largest wooden Buddhist statue in Aomori Prefecture and is designated an Aomori Prefectural Treasure. Its imposing lacquered-and-gilded form is rare even in Tohoku. It is said to have been commissioned by Tsugaru Nobumasa, the fourth lord of the Hirosaki Domain, to pray for the repose of his predecessor Nobuyoshi. It was originally the principal image of the Kannon Hall of Muryoin at Hoonji Temple. Today it can be viewed by the public from 8:00 to 17:00.
Daienji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Wooden Amida Nyorai (Owani no Dainichi-sama) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県南津軽郡大鰐町大字蔵館字村岡12
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (advance application to Daienji Temple is required to view the Important Cultural Property statue)
DignityDepthSolemnity
The principal image of Daienji Temple is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property: a seated wooden Amida Nyorai deeply venerated in Tsugaru as “Owani no Dainichi-sama.” Thought to date from the first half of the Kamakura period, it is a joroku-scale seated statue made using joined-block construction and finished with lacquer and gold leaf; Aomori Prefecture’s cultural-property database records the statue height as 222.5 cm. A distinctive feature is that the temple has long enshrined it as Dainichi Nyorai, while its cultural-property identification confirms it as an image of Amida Nyorai. In the Tsugaru Ichidai-sama tradition, it continues to be worshipped as the guardian Buddha for people born in the years of the Sheep and Monkey. Advance application is required to view the statue.
Jonenji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Wooden Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県むつ市田名部町4-8
Visiting Status Advance reservation required
PeacefulnessRefinementNobility
This seated wooden Amida Nyorai is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property believed to date from the late Heian period. The life-size statue is made of joined hinoki cypress blocks, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, and forms the jo-in mudra. Its calm, well-proportioned expression preserves the late-Heian style. It is said to have been made around Kyoto and transferred from Kyoto's Shojoke-in in 1686. It is one of only two nationally designated Important Cultural Property sculptures in Aomori Prefecture. Advance application is required for viewing.
Genkoji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Wooden Kannon Bosatsu by Enku Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県青森市浪岡大字徳才子字山本5-8
Visiting Status Advance reservation required
MysteryDepthStillness
Genkoji Temple preserves a seated wooden Kannon Bosatsu by Enku from the early Edo period, designated an Aomori Prefectural Treasure. It shares features with Kannon images made around the Tsugaru Peninsula after summer 1667 and is important for understanding Enku's statue-making activity in northern Japan. Until recent years it was enshrined in the Shakado Hall at the summit of Mount Bonju. Alterations to the head and damage to the facial features remain, while its distinctive form retains the character of Enku's Buddhist sculpture. Viewing requires advance application to Genkoji Temple.
Eko-in Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県三戸郡南部町大向字長谷94-1
Visiting Status Usually not open to the public (unveiled every year on August 20)
DepthNobilityMystery
The standing Eleven-Faced Kannon at Eko-in Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure believed to date from the late Heian to Kamakura period. The wooden statue was carved with the head and torso from a single block and was handed down from Hasedera Temple, which once stood at the foot of Mount Nakuidake. Although it has undergone later recarving and suffered damage, older stylistic features remain in details such as the small faces above the head. It is especially important because it is considered the oldest Buddhist statue made within Aomori Prefecture. It is normally not open to the public, but is unveiled each year on August 20.
Shofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県上北郡おいらせ町阿光坊105-278
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (advance application required for viewing)
NobilityRefinementMystery
The standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu at Shofukuji Temple is a small gilt-bronze Buddhist statue from the Hakuhō period and is designated an Aomori Prefectural Treasure. It is regarded as the oldest surviving example of sculpture in Aomori Prefecture, and its childlike proportions and ornate jewelry clearly reflect the characteristics of Hakuhō-period sculpture. Its crown and facial features closely resemble those of the statue at Nonakaji Temple in Osaka, made in 666, and it is thought to have been made in the Kinki region before being brought here. The figure and pedestal were cast as a single piece. The gilding has since been lost, revealing the natural color of the copper. Advance application is required for viewing.
Kudoji Temple
Buddhist Image Group of approximately 250 stone Kannon statues Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県弘前市坂元山元1
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (9:00-16:30)
StillnessWarmthDepth
Behind Kumano-do Hall at Kudoji Temple, approximately 250 stone Kannon statues line the mountain slope. In the 1970s, part of the temple grounds was damaged by a landslide disaster, and the head priest at the time is said to have had the statues erected in gratitude for the aid received from many people, praying for the safety of the donors' households. Each statue bears the name of a donor, and no two expressions are exactly alike. In the mountain-temple setting of the first temple of the Tsugaru Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, visitors can walk among and worship the many Kannon images, making this a distinctive Buddhist spot.
Choshoji Temple
Buddhist Image Three Buddhist images (Amida Nyorai, Eleven-Headed Kannon, Yakushi Nyorai) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県弘前市大字西茂森1丁目23-8
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (April-November 9:00-17:00 / closed December-March)
SolemnityDepthNobility
The three Buddhist images enshrined in the Soryukutsu at Choshoji Temple are Amida Nyorai, Eleven-Headed Kannon, and Yakushi Nyorai, worshipped as the honji-butsu, or underlying Buddhist manifestations, of Iwakiyama Sansho Daigongen. All three are wooden statues believed to date from the Momoyama period and were originally the principal images of the Great Hall at Hyakutakuji Temple. The zushi shrine housing them, dating to around Kan'ei 15 (1638), is called Hanamido and is designated an Aomori Prefectural Treasure. It is decorated with carvings of dragons, pine trees, and kalavinka birds, together with lacquer, gold leaf, and brilliant polychrome. During the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji period, the images were moved to Choshoji Temple. Today they can be viewed by the public during the open season.
Goshinji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県三戸郡三戸町大字同心町字諏訪内55
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (advance application required for viewing)
GentlenessPeacefulnessRefinement
The standing Amida Nyorai at Goshinji Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure believed to date from the late Heian period (12th century). The wooden statue is finished with lacquer and gold leaf; the torso is carved from a single block, while the arms from the shoulders onward are separately joined. Its softly rounded form, straightforward drapery lines, and especially gentle facial expression clearly convey the character of late-Heian Amida sculpture. Aomori Prefecture regards it as an outstanding example even among comparable statues in the Tohoku region. Its place of manufacture is not certain, though it may have been made in Kyoto, and an inscription recording repairs in Jokyo 1 (1684) survives. Advance application is required for viewing.
Kanpukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Eleven-Headed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県三戸郡三戸町大字同心町字熊ノ林6-2
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (advance application required according to prefectural cultural-property information)
RefinementWarmthDepth
The seated Eleven-Headed Kannon Bosatsu at Kanpukuji Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure believed to date from around Tenju 2 (1376) in the Nanboku-cho period. The 46.5 cm-high statue was made using joined-block construction. Although small, it is assembled from finely divided pieces and has a clear, well-proportioned, approachable expression. During repairs in the early Showa period, an ink inscription was discovered inside the head recording Tenju 2 and the name of the Buddhist sculptor Kokei. It is considered the oldest Buddhist statue in Aomori Prefecture for which a sculptor's inscription can be confirmed, and was originally handed down at Eko-in Temple in Nanbu. Advance application is required for viewing.
Kiyomizudera Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Tenbu Figure Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県八戸市大字是川字中居18-2
Visiting Status Advance application required
Tense PresencePowerDepth
The standing wooden Tenbu figure at Kiyomizudera Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure believed to have been made in the late Heian period, from the latter half of the 11th century to the 12th century. Enshrined on the Shumidan altar in the Main Hall, it retains features characteristic of Tenbu images of the period, including a restrained wrathful expression, softly rendered garments, and gently modeled bodily forms. Details of the armor share features with Tenbu images made around the capital during the same period, while the figure's specific deity name and the date it came to Kiyomizudera are unknown. The tip of the left foot, the left hand, and its held attribute are among the missing parts, but it remains a valuable example of a late-Heian Tenbu image preserved in Aomori Prefecture. Advance application is required for viewing.
Terashita Kannon
Buddhist Image Group of 33 stone Kannon statues representing the Saigoku Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県三戸郡階上町大字赤保内字寺下8
Visiting Status Accessible for worship at all times from the grounds (24 hours / open year-round)
StillnessWarmthMystery
Around the Kannon Hall at Terashita Kannon stand 33 stone Kannon statues representing the Saigoku Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. It is said that people who once set out from Terashita Kannon on pilgrimage to the Saigoku temples brought back soil from each sacred site and placed it beneath the corresponding stone statue, allowing those unable to make the distant journey to worship the sites from here. Terashita Kannon itself is also the first temple of the Oshu Nanbu Nukanobu Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, and the Kannon Hall enshrines a Kannon image said to have been transmitted by Gyoki. Visitors can walk among and worship all 33 statues within the syncretic Shinto-Buddhist precincts.
Kaichuji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県上北郡野辺地町字寺ノ沢38-1
Visiting Status Usually not open to the public (open March 19-25 and November 6-15 / advance application required)
RefinementPeacefulnessDepth
The standing wooden Amida Nyorai, the principal image of Kaichuji Temple, is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure believed to date from the Kamakura period based on the decorative treatment of its robes. After the temple's former principal image was destroyed in a fire in Bunka 14 (1817), this statue, which had been enshrined at a training hall of Denkoji Temple in Osaka, is said to have been brought to Kaichuji. It remains enshrined as the temple's principal image today. Although normally not open to the public, it is displayed each year from March 19 to 25 and from November 6 to 15. Visitors wishing to see the statue must apply to Kaichuji in advance.
Saishoin Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県弘前市大字銅屋町63-20
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (9:00-16:30)
PowerDignityTense Presence
The standing wooden Kongo Rikishi statues at Saishoin Temple's Nio Gate form a pair of Agyo and Ungyo guardians. Inscriptions in ink and an inscription tablet found inside the statues during restoration revealed that they were created in Jo'o 2 (1653) by the Buddhist sculptor Ukon, who belonged to the tradition of Kyoto's Shichijo Bussho school. Agyo stands 277.3 cm high and Ungyo 275.1 cm; both are made using joined-block construction, with polychrome decoration and inlaid crystal eyes. They are regarded as the oldest surviving Kongo Rikishi statues in Aomori Prefecture. After extensive dismantling and restoration, they returned to the temple in 2023 and were designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Hirosaki City in 2024. They can now be viewed and worshipped at the Nio Gate.
Enjuin Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Bosatsu by Enku (traditionally identified at the temple as Yakushi Nyorai / "Black Principal Image Drifted at Sea") Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県西津軽郡鰺ヶ沢町大字富根町1
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (prefectural cultural-property information states that advance application is required for public viewing)
MysteryDepthStillness
The seated Bodhisattva at Enjuin Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure said to have been carved by Enku around Kanbun 7 (1667), in the early Edo period, and is the only surviving Enku Buddha on the west coast. At the temple it has been handed down as an image of Yakushi Nyorai and is also known as the "Black Principal Image Drifted at Sea." A tradition says that it was caught in a fishing net off the coast of Ajigasawa. The entire statue is now black, though it is thought originally to have had a plain, unpainted wood finish. It was made at roughly the same time as the group of Enku sculptures on the Tsugaru Peninsula. Advance application is required for viewing.
Saikoji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県弘前市大字新寺町109
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (prefectural cultural-property information states that advance application is required for public viewing)
PeacefulnessRefinementDepth
The standing wooden Amida Nyorai, the principal image of Saikoji Temple, is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure. Temple tradition says that Konko Shonin, a direct disciple of Honen Shonin, discovered the image in the Amida River in Yomogita Village in Jogen 4 (1210), while another account holds that Tsugaru Tamenobu donated the statue and temple lands to Saikoji in Namioka. However, based on its formalized sculptural style, Aomori Prefecture considers it more likely that the statue was made later than the time of Konko Shonin, during the Keicho era around the period when the temple moved from Namioka to Hirosaki. It is now enshrined as the temple's principal image, and advance application is required for viewing.
Kogakezan Fudoin Kokujoji Temple
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o (Nemari Fudo) Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
青森県平川市碇ヶ関古懸門前1-1
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (worship reception available at any time)
PowerDignityTense Presence
The principal image of Kogakezan Fudoin Kokujoji Temple is Fudo Myoo, known as “Nemari Fudo” because of its seated posture and long revered as one of the Three Fudo of Tsugaru. In the Tsugaru Ichidai-sama tradition, it is the guardian deity for people born in the Year of the Rooster, and the temple is also the 13th site of the Tohoku Thirty-Six Fudo Pilgrimage. The temple was strongly protected as a place of prayer for the lords of the Tsugaru domain, and other Buddhist images, including Mikaeri Fudo, are also enshrined within the grounds. Official Aomori tourism information states that worship reception is available at any time, making this a representative site of Fudo devotion where general visitors can normally come and pray before the principal image.
Chofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Eleven-Headed Kannon by Enku Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県下北郡佐井村大字佐井字古佐井112
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (visitors wishing to view the statue should contact the temple office in advance)
MysteryPowerDepth
The standing wooden Eleven-Headed Kannon at Chofukuji Temple is an Aomori Prefectural Treasure carved by Enku in the early Edo period. It displays Enku's distinctive style, carved almost in relief from a thick plank said to be hiba wood. Official tourism information from Sai Village introduces it as a large work with an overall height of 181 cm and a statue height of 145 cm. Aomori Prefecture's cultural-property commentary considers it to have been made at roughly the same time as the Enku image at Entsuji Temple on Mount Osore and the Eleven-Headed Kannon in Inakadate Village. It can currently be viewed by contacting the temple office in advance.
Seiryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Mikaeri Amida (Looking-Back Amida) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県青森市大字桑原字山崎45
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (April-October 8:30-17:00, November-March 9:00-16:00 / open year-round)
GentlenessPeacefulnessWarmth
The “Mikaeri Amida” in the Kondo Hall of Seiryuji Temple is an image of Amida Nyorai by the Buddhist sculptor Eri Sohei, who also created the original model for the Showa Daibutsu. It is a copy of the famous “Mikaeri Amida” at Eikando Temple in Kyoto, distinguished by its unusual pose of looking back rather than facing straight ahead and by its gentle expression. It is enshrined at the western end of the shumidan altar in the Kondo Hall and can be worshipped together with the central Dainichi Nyorai and the other Buddhist images. Seiryuji Temple's official website lists opening hours as 8:30-17:00 from April to October and 9:00-16:00 from November to March, with no regular closing days, so it can normally be visited.
Kawakura Sai-no-Kawara Jizoson
Buddhist Image About 2,000 Jizo statues Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県五所川原市金木町川倉七夕野426-1
Visiting Status Normally open (year-round, free; office closed Dec-Mar)
MysteryDepthStillness
Kawakura Sai-no-Kawara Jizoson, northeast of Ashino Park, is a major Tsugaru Jizo pilgrimage site. About 2,000 Jizo statues of various sizes are enshrined inside and around the hall, creating a distinctive landscape. Like Mount Osore in Shimokita, it is known for kuchiyose rites performed by itako spirit mediums. Many pilgrims visit the annual festival on the 22nd-24th days of the sixth lunar month. Goshogawara City states that the site is open year-round and free, so visitors can walk among and see the many Jizo images.