Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Ryutakuzan Shoboin Temple
Buddhist Image Nio guardians (Kongorikishi statues) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県東津軽郡蓬田村大字阿弥陀川字汐干29
Visiting Status Viewable on the temple grounds (Nio guardian statues at the sanmon gate)
PowerDignitySolemnity
The two Nio guardians protecting the Sanmon gate of Ryutakuzan Shoboin Temple are large Kongorikishi statues consecrated in Showa 5 (1930). According to the official Yomogita Village website, they were created over four years by Genzo Kudo, a ship carpenter from Ushirogata in Aomori City, following the model of the Nio statues at Todaiji Temple in Nara. The Yomogita village history records their total height as more than one jo and one shaku, exceeding about 3.3 meters. On the day of their consecration, around 2,500 worshippers are recorded as having pulled ropes to transport the statues from Genzo's home to Shoboin. This imposing pair conveys both the deep faith of the local community and the craftsmanship of a ship carpenter, and they are still introduced as a highlight of the temple gate on the village's official tourism page.
Kairyuzan Jiyuji Temple
Buddhist Image Two Yakushi Nyorai statues (bronze and wooden) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県下北郡風間浦村大字下風呂字下風呂93
Visiting Status Yakushi Nyorai prayer services available at any time (fees from ¥3,000 / advance confirmation with the temple recommended for ordinary viewing of the statues only)
WarmthDepthMystery
Kairyuzan Jiyuji Temple, standing on high ground in the Shimofuro Onsen area, enshrines two Yakushi Nyorai statues deeply connected with the history of hot-spring healing. The bronze image is 70 cm tall. Tradition holds that in Jokyo 4 (1687), Daido Shoan, the 242nd abbot of Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto, stopped at Shimofuro and promised to donate an image; the following year, 1688, he had it cast by a metalworker in Chikugo. The wooden image is also 70 cm tall and is said to have been unearthed around 1658, during the Manji era, while the "Oyu" hot spring was being excavated. In Taisho 6 (1917), a new shrine case was made and the statue was presented to Jiyuji Temple. The temple still accepts prayers for health and recovery from illness before the two Yakushi images at any time, making this a distinctive Shimofuro destination where hot-spring faith and Buddhism meet.
Jomanji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden seated Shakyamuni Nyorai carved by Enku Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県青森市大字油川字大浜249-1
Visiting Status Advance inquiry required (confirm with Aomori City Cultural Heritage Division or Jomanji Temple)
GentlenessWarmthDepth
Jomanji Temple in Aburakawa, Aomori City, preserves a wooden seated Shakyamuni Nyorai carved by Enku. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aomori City, it is described by the city as a relatively early work by Enku from the early Edo period. His distinctive method of splitting and carving a single piece of unfinished wood with a hatchet is said to express simplicity and warmth, together with religious faith and compassion, in a direct and unaffected way. The Aomori Enku Kaido also introduces Jomanji as one of the places where visitors can encounter an Enku Buddha. Because designated cultural properties kept inside temples may sometimes be unavailable for viewing due to ceremonies or other circumstances, advance confirmation is necessary when visiting specifically to see the statue.
Taga Shrine (Shimizu Kannon)
Buddhist Image Stone statue of Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県弘前市大字桜庭字外山948
Visiting Status Open for worship at any time (free of charge)
PurityStillnessWarmth
Beside Shimizu Kannon Spring, which rises behind the main sanctuary of Taga Shrine (formerly Shimizu Senju Kannon-do) in the Higashimeya area of Hirosaki, stands a quiet stone statue carved with Kannon Bosatsu. According to Hirosaki City, this site is known as the 2nd temple of the Tsugaru Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, and the spring water emerging between massive rocks was selected by Aomori Prefecture in 1988 as one of its “Our Famous Waters.” Aomori Prefecture’s official tourism website also introduces the site as a place still visited by worshippers and local residents, where the Kannon stone statue beside the spring conveys a landscape in which Tsugaru faith and nature come together. It is a Buddhist destination where visitors can see an outdoor stone Kannon in person and experience the overlap of spring-water faith and Kannon devotion.
Nishi no Koyasan Koboji Temple
Buddhist Image Migawari Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
青森県つがる市木造吹原屏風山1-244
Visiting Status Normally open for worship (opens 8:00 / closes 17:00 in summer and 16:00 in winter)
PowerDignityWarmth
At Nishi no Koyasan Koboji Temple in Tsugaru City, Migawari Fudo Myoo is enshrined at the center of the main hall. The temple's official information explains Fudo Myoo as an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai who guides people onto the right path, and introduces this image as the "Migawari Fudo," revered for averting disasters, bringing blessings, driving away evil spirits, attracting good fortune, and warding off misfortune. Koboji is also the 16th temple of the Tohoku Thirty-Six Fudo Pilgrimage, and the temple grounds guide clearly identifies the Fudo Myoo in the main hall as one of its principal objects of worship. The gates open at 8:00 and close at 17:00 in summer and 16:00 in winter, making this one of Tsugaru's representative Fudo pilgrimage sites that can be visited during regular worship hours.
Zenrin-gai Sazaedo (managed by Ranteiin Temple)
Buddhist Image Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu and other Buddhist statues Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県弘前市西茂森2丁目9-1
Visiting Status Advance contact required (contact Ranteiin Temple for interior viewing / closed in winter from December to March)
MysteryDepthStillness
Sazaedo, standing at the entrance to Zenrin-gai in Hirosaki, is an octagonal Buddhist hall built around Tenpo 10 (1839) through a donation by wealthy Hirosaki merchant Nakata Kahei. Tradition says it was erected to memorialize those who died in maritime accidents and those who perished in the great famines of the Tenmei and Tenpo eras. Inside, a distinctive layout combines a clockwise corridor with a straight staircase. Beginning with Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu near the entrance, statues of Kanzeon Bosatsu and other Buddhist figures are enshrined along the inner side of the corridor, allowing visitors to worship them in sequence while ascending. Today, visitors can still view the interior free of charge by contacting Ranteiin Temple in advance, making this a rare Buddhist destination where architecture and a pilgrimage among sacred images form a single experience.
Soto Zen Gyoranzan Johgenji Temple
Buddhist Image Gyoran Kanzeon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県八戸市小中野6丁目25-8
Visiting Status Unveiled annually on November 17 (confirm that year's memorial service time in advance)
MysteryDepthNobility
Gyoran Kanzeon Bosatsu is enshrined as the secret principal image of Johgenji Temple in Konakano, Hachinohe. According to temple tradition, a daughter born to a Japanese noble couple who fled warfare and reached Annam became a queen. Deeply moved by her steadfast devotion to Kannon, the king is said to have carved the image himself and presented it to her. The statue later crossed to Japan and, after passing through Zen master Nishiari Bokuzan, was enshrined at Johgenji. It is normally kept hidden, but the temple officially states that it is unveiled every year on November 17. Its unusual identity as Gyoran Kannon, the temple tradition of its overseas origin, and the rare chance to encounter the actual image only once a year make this one of Hachinohe's most distinctive Buddhist destinations.
Myokozan Gessoji Temple
Buddhist Image Seven Bosatsu Statues by Kiho Gakushu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県上北郡六戸町鶴喰字明堂18
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (monthly public zazen session is held in the main hall by reservation / contact the temple in advance for Buddhist-image viewing)
DignityDepthStillness
The seven Bodhisattva statues by monk-sculptor Kiho Gakushu are enshrined at the front of the main hall of Gessoji Temple in Tsurubami, Rokunohe Town. Rokunohe Town designates Gakushu's Dainichi Nyorai statue and the seven Bodhisattva statues as municipal Tangible Cultural Properties, and the temple's official website also states that the seven Bodhisattva statues are installed at the front of the main hall. Gakushu was a monk-sculptor who left many distinctive Buddhist images across the Nanbu region and is known for works characterized by vigorous carving and stern expressions. Gessoji holds a monthly zazen session open to the public in the main hall, offering opportunities to encounter Gakushu's Buddhist art in a temple that welcomes the local community. If viewing the statues themselves is the main purpose of a visit, visitors should contact the temple in advance to confirm access.
Buppozan Gonen-in Seiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden seated Amida Nyorai statue Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県青森市大字奥内字宮田37
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (for viewing the city-designated cultural property, contact Aomori City's Cultural Heritage Division or Seiganji Temple in advance)
PeacefulnessSolemnityDepth
A wooden seated Amida Nyorai statue preserved at Seiganji Temple in Okunai, Aomori City. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property by Aomori City, the joined-wood statue is covered entirely in gold leaf and backed by a boat-shaped halo. Its drapery shows honpa-shiki carving, in which large and small wave-like folds alternate, a style said to have no other example in Aomori City. Temple tradition holds that Prince Shotoku carved it to memorialize his mother; it later passed through Zojoji Temple in Shiba, Edo, and was bestowed on Seiganji after World War II. Aomori City asks people wishing to view designated cultural properties owned by temples and similar institutions to inquire in advance, so visitors coming specifically to see the statue should confirm with the Cultural Heritage Division or Seiganji Temple.
Osorezan Sacred Site / Osorezan Bodaiji Temple
Buddhist Image Disaster Memorial Jizo Bosatsu Statue Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県むつ市大字田名部字宇曽利山3-2
Visiting Status Open for viewing during the mountain-opening season (on the pilgrimage route / opened May 1, 2026; normally closes October 31)
DepthStillnessGentleness
The Disaster Memorial Jizo Bosatsu Statue is enshrined at Gokurakuhama on the shore of Lake Usori, beyond Osorezan's pilgrimage route through the volcanic 'hells.' It was erected to memorialize the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, with bells placed on both sides of the statue for visitors to ring instead of offering incense. Large and small handprints are carved behind it, allowing visitors to place their hands on a matching print while remembering the victims. Today it serves not only as a memorial to those lost in the Great East Japan Earthquake but also as a place of remembrance for disaster victims throughout Japan. Within Osorezan, a sacred site devoted to prayers for the dead, it is a symbolic Buddhist spot where contemporary memory and prayer come together.
Kuromoriyama Josenji Temple
Buddhist Image Nio statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県黒石市南中野字黒森下84-3
Visiting Status Viewable within the temple grounds (outdoor statues in front of the temple gate)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of Nio guardian statues standing in front of the temple gate at Kuromoriyama Josenji Temple in Kuroishi City. The Agyo figure on the right is Mitsujaku Kongo, holding a vajra and protecting Buddhist teachings, while the Ungyo figure on the left is Naraen Kongo Rikishi, who wards off evil and protects good; both are carved from cedar. An inscription inside the statues identifies the maker as Nara Kiyokichi of Hinami Village and dates them to 1865; they were originally donated to Fukuoji Temple in Nyui Village. Following the early Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism, they were moved with the temple gate to Josenji in 1872. Because the original statues can be seen directly in front of the gate, this Buddhist spot conveys both early-modern Buddhist sculpture in Tsugaru and the history of shinbutsu bunri.
Ryugakusan Doenji Temple
Buddhist Image Nio statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県三戸郡田子町大字関字関160
Visiting Status Viewable within the temple grounds (outdoor statues at the temple gate)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of vermilion-painted Nio guardian statues, each about 3 meters tall, standing at the gate of Ryugakusan Doenji Temple in Seki, Takko Town. Designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Takko Town, they are said to have been commissioned in 1875 by the temple's 15th abbot, Shuko, who collected donations as far away as Hokkaido. Carved from pine, the open-mouthed Agyo (Kongo figure) and closed-mouthed Ungyo (Rikishi figure) guard the gate; the town's official description notes their imposing presence, powerful enough to inspire awe in worshippers. Because the original statues can be viewed outdoors without waiting for a hall to be opened, they are among the most commanding Nio images in Takko Town.
Nationally Designated Place of Scenic Beauty Seibien
Buddhist Image Kongokai Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana of the Diamond Realm) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
青森県平川市猿賀石林1
Visiting Status Open for viewing during the regular operating season (Gohoden Hall opens once every 30 minutes / Gohoden Hall cannot be viewed in winter)
SolemnityNobilityMystery
Enshrined in the Gohoden Hall at Seibien, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in Hirakawa City, is Kongokai Dainichi Nyorai. Aomori Prefecture's official tourism site introduces the image as a Kamakura-period sculpture. The Gohoden Hall was built in 1917, and its ten-tatami interior is covered in gold leaf, allowing visitors to view Dainichi Nyorai together with large-scale maki-e lacquer decoration by lacquer artist Kawamo Tozan. During the regular operating season, the Gohoden Hall is still opened once every 30 minutes, making this a rare publicly accessible Buddhist spot in Aomori where visitors can come specifically to see an old Buddhist image along with the garden.
Sankyozan Yoshinji Temple
Buddhist Image Kishimojin (Hariti) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県つがる市木造筒木坂松本99-1
Visiting Status Unveiled twice a year (Kishimojin Special Unveiling Festival in late February and on August 28)
DignitySolemnityMystery
At Yoshinji Temple in Tsutsukizaka, Kizukuri, Tsugaru City, the Kishimojin statue is enshrined as the principal image for prayer rites. According to the temple, it is the oldest of the sacred images at Yoshinji. An inscription on the back identifies it as a work by Kyoto Buddhist sculptor Hayashi Josui of the Nichiren school, dated July 28, 1859. Standing 76.4 cm high, the solemn image is unveiled at the Kishimojin Special Unveiling Festival held in conjunction with the Hoshi Matsuri prayer festival in late February and the Obon memorial service on August 28. Twice a year, visitors can encounter this late-Edo-period prayer image in person, making it one of Tsugaru’s Buddhist spots with particularly clear provenance and viewing conditions.
Kifukuzan Taisen-in Temple
Buddhist Image Nio guardian statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
青森県八戸市新井田字寺ノ上13-1
Visiting Status Viewable from the exterior of the temple gate (statues on both sides of the gate / the gate interior and upper floor are not open to the public)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of Nio guardian statues enshrined on both sides of the gate at Kifukuzan Taisen-in Temple in Niida, Hachinohe. According to Hachinohe City, plaques by the statues record that they were donated in 1811, the same year associated with the installation of the Sixteen Arhats on the upper floor, providing evidence for the date of the gate. The three-bay, single-entrance two-story gate preserves the character of the late Edo period and was designated an Aomori Prefectural Treasure in 2017. Aomori Prefecture lists the gate as open for exterior viewing only, allowing visitors to see the Nio statues from the exterior on both sides of the gate.
Kongozan Nyohoji Temple (Torioi Kannon)
Buddhist Image Torioi Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県耶麻郡西会津町野沢字如法寺乙3533
Visiting Status Hidden image (special unveiling every year during the Wakaba Festival, May 1-June 30 / 8:30-16:30; Kannon Hall open year-round)
GentlenessDepthWarmth
The principal image of Kongozan Nyohoji Temple is Torioi Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu. According to temple tradition, a tiny Torioi Kannon image measuring one sun and eight bu is enshrined inside a statue of Sho-Kannon said to have been carved by Gyoki, and the temple was founded by Master Tokuitsu in 807 (Daido 2). It is revered as one of the Aizu Korori Three Kannon and as the extra concluding temple of the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. The unusual Kannon Hall, entered from the east and exited to the west, symbolizes peaceful rebirth in the Western Pure Land. The principal image is normally hidden, but it is specially unveiled during the Wakaba Festival every year from May 1 to June 30 and may be viewed freely.
Koanji Temple (Nakada Kannon)
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon with Attendants Fudo Myo-o and Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県大沼郡会津美里町米田字堂ノ後甲147
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (individual viewing once at 10:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays)
GentlenessDepthSolemnity
The principal image of Koanji Temple, popularly known as Nakada Kannon, is a nationally rare bronze triad consisting of an Eleven-Faced Kannon at the center, flanked by Fudo Myoo and Jizo Bosatsu. Dated by inscription to 1274 (Bun'ei 11), it was made in the Kamakura period. The central image is 187 cm high, while each attendant measures 93.9 cm. Tradition holds that Egawa Tsunetoshi commissioned the triad in memory of his daughter Tsunehime, who died at the age of 17, and the sculptures are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Nakada Kannon is revered as one of the Aizu Korori Three Kannon and as the 30th temple of the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage, and is also known as a Kannon visited monthly by Shika, the mother of Hideyo Noguchi. Reservations must be made by the previous day; individual visitors are admitted once at 10:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Hoyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongorikishi Statues Category Tenbu (Deva)
福島県大沼郡会津美里町雀林字三番山下3554
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (a donation is required to view the cultural properties inside the Kannon Hall)
PowerDignityTense Presence
Hoyoji Temple preserves two wooden standing statues of Kongorikishi in its Kannon Hall. Carved from single blocks of zelkova wood, they are believed to date from the late Heian period and are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Hoyoji is an ancient temple said to have been founded by Tokudo in 720 (Yoro 4) and moved to its present site and revived by Tokuitsu during the Daido era (806-810). The Kannon Hall houses the Kongorikishi statues along with several other cultural properties and is also the 29th temple of the Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. Advance reservation and a donation are required to view the cultural properties inside the hall, while the exterior may be viewed at any time.
Hodoji Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Amida Nyorai and Two Attendant Figures Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県大沼郡会津美里町字法憧寺南甲3499-1
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (visiting hours 9:00-17:00)
RefinementSolemnityDepth
The principal image of Hodoji Temple, affectionately known as the “Zenkoji of Aizu,” is a Zenkoji-style bronze triad with Amida Nyorai at the center and two attendant figures. An inscription on the back of the central image confirms that it was cast in 1276 (Kenji 2), during the Kamakura period, and it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Tradition holds that the triad was enshrined as an embodiment of the Zenkoji Nyorai, and it continues to be revered as a Buddhist image preserving the Zenkoji faith that spread throughout the Aizu region. Viewing in the main hall requires an advance reservation for a specific date and time, and visiting hours are 9:00-17:00.
Iwaya Kannon
Buddhist Image Thirty-Three Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県福島市岩谷7-2
Visiting Status Free access (outdoors / no set opening hours)
MysteryDepthStillness
Iwaya Kannon is a group of Buddhist images carved into the eastern cliff of Mt. Shinobu, centered on the Thirty-Three Kannon and including more than 60 figures such as Jizo and Fudo. Its origin is said to date to the late Heian to Kamakura period, when the Igarame clan, who ruled this area, enshrined a Sho-Kannon in a hall hollowed out of the rock; the present Kannon Hall was rebuilt in 1614 (Keicho 19). The cliff carvings are said to have been created during the Edo period as devotion to the Saigoku Thirty-Three Kannon spread among ordinary people. After climbing 83 stone steps, visitors can freely worship the Kannon images arranged across the rock face.