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Daihisan Stone Buddhas
Buddhist Image Yakushido Stone Buddhas / Amidado Stone Buddhas / Thousand-Armed Kannon Stone Buddha Category Other
福島県南相馬市小高区泉沢字薬師前206ほか
Visiting Status Open freely to visitors (year-round)
PowerDepthMystery
The Daihisan Stone Buddhas in Izumisawa, Odaka Ward, Minamisoma City form a large group of cliff-carved Buddhist images consisting of the Yakushido, Amidado, and Kannondo stone Buddhas. The site is a National Historic Site and is counted among Japan’s three great cliff-carved Buddha sites. The best-preserved Yakushido group is carved in relief and incised lines inside a rock grotto about 15 meters high, with figures roughly 2-3 meters tall. The Kannondo image is a large Thousand-Armed Kannon about 9 meters high and is said to be among the largest in Japan. The exact date and sculptors are unknown, but the style suggests the early Heian period. The site is open year-round and can be visited freely, allowing worshippers to view the ancient stone images at close range.
Katsurao Village Cliff-Carved Buddhas
Buddhist Image Dainichi Nyorai / Amida Nyorai / Monju Bosatsu / Sho-Kannon Bosatsu / Jizo Bosatsu / Fudo Myo-o / Kokuzo Bosatsu Category Other
福島県双葉郡葛尾村葛尾143
Visiting Status Outdoor viewing permitted (climbing on or touching the historic site is prohibited for preservation)
MysteryDepthStillness
Near the Katsurao Daijin Residence Site Park, seven Buddhist figures—Dainichi Nyorai, Amida Nyorai, Monju Bosatsu, Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, Jizo Bosatsu, Fudo Myoo, and Kokuzo Bosatsu—are carved into a massive rock about 5-6 meters high. They are said to have been created around 1709 by the prosperous Matsumoto family of Katsurao Village, known as the “Katsurao Daijin,” with the second-generation Sankuro Shigetomo regarded as the patron. All seven figures can still be seen with the naked eye, creating a striking image of prayer united with the huge rock in the mountains. The road to the site is narrow and steep, and climbing on or touching the carvings is prohibited to protect the historic site.
Soto Zen Kinkyu-zan Kanshuji Temple
Buddhist Image Kochi Hoin Yutei (Sokushinbutsu) Category Other
福島県石川郡浅川町大字小貫字宿ノ内63
Visiting Status Advance contact required (visitors must contact the Planning and Commerce Division of Asakawa Town Hall in advance)
DepthTense PresenceMystery
Enshrined in the Yakushido Hall of Kanshuji Temple is the sokushinbutsu of Kochi Hoin Yutei. Yutei is said to have entered final meditation in 1683 (Tenna 3) after preaching the Twelve Great Vows of Yakushi Nyorai for villagers suffering from an epidemic, and today he is venerated as the only sokushinbutsu in Fukushima Prefecture. The stone chamber and wooden coffin used for his final meditation, along with the record of Hoin Yutei’s life, are also designated cultural properties of Asakawa Town. General viewing is possible, but advance contact is mandatory because visits are guided by the preservation association. This Buddhist site offers a powerful encounter with the intense prayer and solemn atmosphere preserved to the present day.
Kamiunai Yakushido Hall
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県河沼郡会津坂下町大字大上字村北甲803
Visiting Status Reservation required (10:00-16:00)
GentlenessDignityDepth
The principal image of Kamiunai Yakushido Hall is a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai counted among the Five Yakushi of Aizu. The statue is 183 cm high and carved from a single block of zelkova wood; Aizubange Town dates it to the 10th century based on features including its gentle expression. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Also enshrined in the hall are standing statues of Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu, Hoko Kokuzo Bosatsu, Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, and five figures of the Twelve Divine Generals. The hall can normally be visited by reservation between 10:00 and 16:00, offering an opportunity to encounter the ancient Yakushi faith of Aizu through the original image.
Gohosan Shounji Temple (Aizu Honzan)
Buddhist Image Thirty-Three Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県会津若松市東山町湯川字角仏沢丙643
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (gates open 8:00-17:00)
StillnessGentlenessDepth
Shounji Temple, located in the mountains of Higashiyama in Aizuwakamatsu City, offers a pilgrimage around Thirty-Three Kannon images within its grounds. Aizuwakamatsu Tourism Navi introduces the temple as a site with a Buddha Hall, Zen Hall, Higashiyama Art Museum, and Higashiyama Buddhist Statue Hall, where visitors can make a circuit of the Thirty-Three Kannon. The temple's principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha. It was founded in 1562 (Eiroku 5) and moved from Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, to its present location in 1984 (Showa 59). In the quiet setting of this mountain temple, visitors can worship while walking among multiple Kannon images.
Daizoji Temple (Oguraji Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県福島市小倉寺字拾石7
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (9:00-16:00, last admission 15:40 / phone confirmation required in winter)
DignitySolemnityDepth
A wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon is enshrined in the repository at Daizoji Temple. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan, it is introduced by Fukushima City tourism information as an image preserving the early Heian-period Jogan style, about 4 meters tall and carved from a single piece of kaya wood, making it one of the largest Thousand-Armed Kannon statues in Fukushima Prefecture. Formerly the temple’s principal image, it is now carefully preserved in the repository on the grounds while remaining available for viewing. The imposing presence of this large statue and the depth of Kannon devotion rooted in ancient Tohoku can be experienced through the original image.
Annonji Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県耶麻郡猪苗代町字裏町437
Visiting Status Advance contact required (advance notice is necessary to view the cultural property)
RefinementDepthStillness
Annonji Temple enshrines a bronze standing statue of Amida Nyorai. This bronze image bears a dated inscription from 1271 (Bun'ei 8) and is regarded as the oldest surviving cast Buddhist image in the Aizu region. It has been recognized as an Important Art Object of Japan. The temple is also the second station of the Inawashiro Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage, and its grounds include Koyasu Kannon and Hassaku Jizo. Advance contact is required to view the cultural property, offering visitors a chance to encounter through the original statue the Amida faith that reached Aizu in the Kamakura period.
Johoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Sho-Kannon Bosatsu (Hitohada Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県南会津郡只見町大字梁取字御東1747
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (reservation required to view the Kannon Hall)
GentlenessDepthStillness
The wooden seated Sho-Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined in the Kannon Hall of Johoji Temple, the first station of the Okurairi Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. Believed to have been made in 1311 (Ocho 1), it is also known as the “Hitohada Kannon” for its distinctive skin-like coloring and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. The Kannon Hall itself is an Important Cultural Property of Japan that preserves medieval Buddhist hall architecture, and it is said to stand on the site of a Hosso school training hall founded by Tokuitsu in the early Heian period. Advance reservation is required to view the Kannon Hall, offering visitors in a mountain village of Oku-Aizu a chance to encounter a Kannon tradition and original image handed down since medieval times.
Yamamoto Fudoson
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
福島県東白川郡棚倉町大字北山本字小檜沢94-2
Visiting Status Normally open to worshippers (130 stone steps lead to the inner sanctuary)
PowerDignityMystery
Fudo Myoo is deeply revered at Yamamoto Fudoson in Tanagura Town. According to temple tradition, it was a personal devotional image of Kobo Daishi and is enshrined in a sacred grotto within a massive rock about 50 meters high. To reach the inner sanctuary, visitors climb 130 stone steps watched over by the Thirty-Six Doji and worship in a distinctive place of prayer integrated with the rock grotto itself. The temple is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi in 807 (Daido 2), and goma fire rituals are still performed daily, making it a living sacred site of faith.
Yosenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県福島市下鳥渡字寺東17
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (9:00-16:00, last admission 15:30 / open daily)
RefinementNobilityStillness
Yosenji Temple in Shimotoriwatari, Fukushima City, enshrines a wooden seated statue of Shaka Nyorai. The statue is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan and remains on public view as one of the temple's main viewing highlights. Fukushima City's official information confirms Yosenji Temple as the location and owner of the cultural property, while JAPAN 47 GO lists visiting hours from 9:00 to 16:00, with last admission at 15:30, and no regular closing days. This accessible Buddhist site allows visitors to view the original statue, preserved as a cultural property, during normal visiting hours.
Yakuoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Monju Bosatsu Riding a Lion Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県いわき市四倉町薬王寺字塙74
Visiting Status Advance contact required (9:00-16:00 / irregular closing days)
NobilityPowerRefinement
Yakuoji Temple in Yotsukura, Iwaki City, preserves a wooden image of Monju Bosatsu seated on a lion. Made in the Kamakura period (13th century), the statue depicts Monju Bosatsu seated on a lotus pedestal on the lion's back and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Its refined expression is reminiscent of Song-dynasty style, while the contrast with the powerful lion is another highlight. Yakuoji is an ancient temple said to have been founded by Tokuitsu during the Daido era, and its cultural properties are kept in a repository. The wooden Monju Bosatsu on a lion can be viewed with advance contact, and normal visiting hours are 9:00-16:00.
Shingu Kumano Shrine
Buddhist Image Wooden Monju Bosatsu Riding a Lion Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県喜多方市慶徳町新宮字熊野2258
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (8:30-17:00 / in winter, December-March: Sat, Sun & holidays 9:00-16:00; weekday group visits by reservation)
NobilityRefinementDepth
The wooden image of Monju Bosatsu riding a lion is preserved in the Treasure Hall of Shingu Kumano Shrine in Kitakata City. Made in the Kamakura period, it depicts Monju Bosatsu riding a lion and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. Shingu Kumano Shrine is an ancient shrine said to have been established in 1055 (Tenki 3) when Minamoto no Yoriyoshi invited the deity, and it preserves many cultural properties, including the worship hall known as Nagatoko, an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The Monju Bosatsu image was closed to the public for restoration from July 2023 through April 2025, but current tourist information states that cultural properties in the Treasure Hall can now be viewed.
Fumonzan Zenchoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Half-Lotus-Seated Kannon Bosatsu (Takimi Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県いわき市小名浜林城字大門9
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled every year on July 10)
NobilityRefinementMystery
The principal image of Zenchoji Temple in Onahama Hayashijo, Iwaki City, is a wooden half-lotus-seated image of Kannon Bosatsu known as “Takimi Kannon.” Made in the Muromachi period, it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. Zenchoji is an ancient temple said to have been founded by Tokuitsu Daishi in 807 (Daido 2), and its Zen-style Buddha Hall dating from the Momoyama to Edo period is also designated a cultural property by the city. The principal image is normally hidden from view, but it is unveiled every year on July 10, allowing visitors to worship the original half-lotus-seated statue.
Komyozan Kannon-in Entsuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Sho-Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県いわき市遠野町上遠野字根小屋40
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (7:00-17:00)
GentlenessNobilityRefinement
The principal image of Entsuji Temple in Kamitono, Tono-machi, Iwaki City, is a wooden seated statue of Sho-Kannon Bosatsu. Believed to date from the early Muromachi period, it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. Constructed of joined cypress wood, it is characterized by a high topknot, a long feminine face, a lotus held in the hand, and a drapery style in which the hem of the robe hangs down from the pedestal. The temple is an ancient temple said to have been founded by Tokuitsu Daishi in 807 (Daido 2). Current tourist information states that visitors may worship from 7:00 to 17:00, offering a chance to visit a historic place of prayer where this Muromachi-period Kannon image is enshrined as the principal image.
Iwatsunosan Gankakuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Images of Bishamonten, Kisshoten and Zennishi Doji Category Tenbu (Deva)
福島県本宮市和田字東屋口84
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 12 years in the Year of the Tiger / normal temple grounds viewing 8:30-17:00)
DignityPowerMystery
At Bishamondo Hall of Gankakuji Temple are enshrined a triad of Bishamonten and his attendants, Kisshoten and Zennishi Doji. According to temple tradition, Jikaku Daishi Ennin opened Mt. Iwatsuno in 851 (Ninju 1), and in 860 (Jogan 2) carved and enshrined Bishamonten while making three bows for each stroke of the blade. The three images are designated Important Cultural Properties of Fukushima Prefecture, and Bishamonten is a hidden image unveiled once every 12 years in the Year of the Tiger. Across the temple mountain are also 808 line-carved Buddhist figures, including the Thirty-Three Kannon of the Saigoku pilgrimage, making the entire mountain a place of prayer.
Zuiozan Kodai-in Nomanji Temple
Buddhist Image Wood-core Dry-Lacquer Seated Kokuzo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県いわき市常磐西郷町忠多385
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled every year on April 13 during the annual Kokuzo festival)
NobilityDepthMystery
Nomanji Temple in Joban Nishigo-machi, Iwaki City, preserves a wood-core dry-lacquer seated statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu. Made in the Nara period (8th century), it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan as a rare surviving example of the wood-core dry-lacquer technique, in which lacquer paste is built up over a carved wooden core. Its features include a high topknot, full cheeks, a mouth suggesting an ancient smile, and the soft drapery characteristic of dry-lacquer sculpture. The statue is said to have originally been at Todaiji Temple in Nara and was transferred to Nomanji Temple in 1945 (Showa 20). Normally kept as a hidden image, it is unveiled once a year on April 13 during the annual Kokuzo festival.
Mochizuri Kannon (Fumon-in)
Buddhist Image Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県福島市山口字文知摺70
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (9:00-17:00, until 16:00 in winter / open year-round)
GentlenessWarmthDepth
The principal image of Mochizuri Kannon (Fumon-in) in Yamaguchi, Fukushima City, is Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu. The Fukushima City Tourism and Convention Association introduces it as an image traditionally attributed to Gyoki Bosatsu, and it is also the principal sacred image of the No. 2 temple of the Shintatsu Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. The grounds are known for the tragic love legend of Minamoto no Toru and Torajo, connections with the Hyakunin Isshu, and the Mochizuri Stone associated with Matsuo Basho. In addition to the Kannon Hall, a tahoto pagoda designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture also remains. Today the site is open year-round from 9:00 to 17:00, until 16:00 in winter, making it one of Fukushima's representative places of worship where literary history and Kannon devotion overlap.
Todosan Manpukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県田村郡小野町大字小戸神字日向128
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled every year on May 3 during the spring annual festival)
GentlenessDepthMystery
Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu is enshrined as the principal image of the Kannon Hall at Todosan Manpukuji Temple. According to the official Jodo Shu listing, Tokuitsu Daishi is said to have opened Mt. Todo in 807 (Daido 2) in response to prayers connected with Sakanoue no Tamuramaro's eastern campaign. The Kannon has long been worshipped as a protector of horses and livestock. Normally kept as a hidden image, it is unveiled every year on May 3 during the spring annual festival. The mountain sanctuary also features a cedar-lined approach, a bell tower set atop a huge rock, and more than 500 Showa-era rakan figures, offering a once-a-year opportunity to worship the Kannon image that has long been safeguarded here.
Saihoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Dainichi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県郡山市日和田町字日和田138
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (contact the temple if you wish to view the statue)
DignityNobilityRefinement
Saihoji Temple in Hiwada-machi, Koriyama City, preserves a wooden seated statue of Dainichi Nyorai. Measuring 60 cm high, it is constructed using the joined-wood technique, with crystal-inlaid eyes, a lacquer-and-gold-leaf finish, and the wisdom-fist mudra characteristic of Dainichi Nyorai of the Diamond Realm. Wearing a gilt-bronze jeweled crown, the powerful form and treatment of the drapery suggest a Kamakura-period work, and it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. This medieval Buddhist image is preserved at an old temple about a six-minute walk from JR Hiwada Station; visitors wishing to see it should contact the temple in advance.
Tokoji Temple (Nakachi Daibutsu)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai (Nakachi Daibutsu) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県郡山市湖南町中野字堰内2488
Visiting Status Advance inquiry required (temple grounds freely accessible / confirm in advance to view the Great Buddha)
DignitySolemnityDepth
Tokoji Temple in Konan-machi, Koriyama City, enshrines a wooden seated statue of Amida Nyorai known as the “Nakachi Daibutsu.” About 3 meters high, it is made using the joined-wood technique and finished with lacquer and gold leaf. Believed to date from the late Kamakura period, it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. It is said to be the largest wooden seated Amida Nyorai statue in the Tohoku region. An unusual feature is that it is now placed on a wooden cart so that it can be moved out of the hall in the event of a fire. The temple grounds may be visited freely, but advance inquiry is required to view the Great Buddha.