Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Ushiku Daibutsu
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県牛久市久野町2083
Visiting Status Open for worship during opening hours (open year-round; interior viewing included)
DignitySolemnityPeacefulness
The official name of Ushiku Daibutsu is Ushiku Amida Daibutsu. Built under the auspices of Higashi Honganji, the head temple of the Higashi Honganji school of Jodo Shinshu, it was completed in November 1992 and opened to the public on July 3, 1993. The bronze standing image of Amida Nyorai is 120 m high overall (100 m statue and 20 m base) and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest bronze Buddha statue. The interior is divided into five levels, including the World of the Lotus Sanctuary with about 3,400 small Buddha images, and visitors can ascend to the observation level in the chest 85 m above the ground. It is open year-round, and both the statue and its interior may be visited during opening hours.
Myokoji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Joroku Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県稲敷郡美浦村土浦2060
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (confirm access to the Yakushi Hall and viewing hours with the temple)
DignityPowerDepth
The standing Yakushi Nyorai enshrined in Myokoji Temple's Yakushi Hall is popularly known as the “Joroku Yakushi.” It is a joined-block hinoki wood sculpture with a lacquered and colored surface. Official sources differ on its height: the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education gives 3.6 m, while Miho Village gives 4.8 m. Its full, dignified style suggests a Muromachi-period date, and it was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1958. An internal survey in 1991 found ink inscriptions and wooden plaques showing that the image was repaired in 1706. Tourism information features it as “Myokoji Temple / Joroku Yakushi,” but no viewing hours for the interior of the Yakushi Hall are stated, so checking with the temple before visiting is recommended.
Tsukubasan Omido
Buddhist Image Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bosatsu (Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県つくば市筑波748
Visiting Status Open for worship (9:00–16:00; visitors may enter the main hall and worship near the principal image)
GentlenessSolemnityPurity
The principal image of Tsukubasan Omido is the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, an Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kannon represented with eleven faces and forty-two arms. The thousand arms symbolize the limitless reach of compassionate salvation. The temple traces its origin to 782, when a Thousand-Armed Kannon was enshrined in a hall on the slopes of Mount Tsukuba. During the separation of Buddhism and Shinto in the Meiji period, the principal image was protected by Gokokuji Temple, helping preserve the tradition until Omido was restored. When the new main hall was rebuilt in 2020, the image was restored to recreate its original appearance and its gold leaf was finished with an aged tone before it was returned to the hall. As the 25th temple of the Bando Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage, it is open from 9:00 to 16:00, and visitors may enter the hall to worship close to the image.
Fudoin Temple (Itabashi Fudoson)
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o with Kongara and Seitaka Attendants Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
茨城県つくばみらい市板橋2370
Visiting Status Hidden images (unveiled on Jan. 28 for Hatsu-Fudo, at Setsubun, and on Nov. 28 for the Autumn Grand Festival)
PowerDignityTense Presence
The principal images of Fudoin Temple, affectionately known as Itabashi Fudoson, form a triad of Fudo Myoo with the attendants Kongara and Seitaka. Temple tradition holds that Kobo Daishi Kukai carved the principal Fudo image during 806–809 while observing the ritual of making three bows for each cut. The images are said to have survived wartime destruction and to have been installed in the present precincts during 1592–1595. The group was nationally designated in 1915 as “Fudo Myoo and Two Attendant Figures” and is now an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Normally hidden from view, the images are officially unveiled on January 28 for Hatsu-Fudo, at Setsubun, and on November 28 for the Autumn Grand Festival. The temple is also the 36th and concluding site of the Northern Kanto Thirty-Six Fudo pilgrimage.
Amabikisan Rakuhoji Temple (Amabiki Kannon)
Buddhist Image Enmei Kanzeon Bosatsu (Wooden Standing Kanzeon Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県桜川市本木1
Visiting Status Special Horse-Year unveiling in 2026 (for the full year; reception 8:30–17:00 / viewing fee ¥1,000)
MysteryDepthGentleness
The principal image of Amabikisan Rakuhoji Temple, known as Amabiki Kannon, is Enmei Kanzeon Bosatsu. Its official Important Cultural Property name is “Wooden Standing Kanzeon Bosatsu (with Maedachi image).” The principal image is an eight-armed figure carved from a single block of coniferous wood believed to be kaya. Sakuragawa City dates it to the latter half or end of the 9th century in the Heian period, and it was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1911. Normally a hidden image, it is accompanied by a similar Maedachi image thought to date to the latter Kamakura period. In 2026, the principal image is being unveiled for the full year as part of the special Horse-Year observance of the Bando Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage, with reception from 8:30 to 17:00 and a viewing fee of ¥1,000. The temple is the 24th Bando pilgrimage site and is revered for prayers for safe childbirth and child-rearing.
Sashirosan Shofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kanzeon Bosatsu (Wooden Seated Sashiro Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県笠間市笠間1056-1
Visiting Status Reservation required (next viewing: Aug. 22, 2026, 11:40–12:00 / fee ¥1,500)
SolemnityGentlenessRefinement
The principal image of Sashirosan Shofukuji Temple is the Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kanzeon Bosatsu, officially listed by Kasama City as the “Wooden Seated Sashiro Kannon.” The 58 cm-high image is made by joined-block construction, has crystal eyes, eleven faces above the head, and thirty-eight arms in addition to the principal pair and the arm holding the begging bowl; it is finished with gold leaf. Kasama City dates it to the mid-Kamakura period, and it was designated a Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1957. The temple grounds are normally open from 9:00 to 16:00, but viewing of the principal image is by reservation on designated dates only. The temple’s latest notice states that there is no viewing on the Kinoe-ne day of August 18, 2026; the next viewing is August 22 from 11:40 to 12:00, by telephone reservation, with a ¥1,500 fee. It is the 23rd temple of the Bando Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage.
Jorenji Temple
Buddhist Image Thirty-Three Kannon Images (stone statues and cliff carvings) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県北茨城市華川町小豆畑2733
Visiting Status Open during visiting hours (8:00–17:00; until 16:00 from October to March)
StillnessMysteryDepth
Along the promenade through Jorenji Gorge within the temple grounds, thirty-three Kannon images are scattered among rocks and the hillside. According to Kitaibaraki City, the group consists of stone statues and cliff carvings, each about 40 cm in size, and is thought to date from the Edo period. The images were created on the belief that Kannon takes thirty-three forms to save people, and include Nyoirin Kannon, Sho Kannon, Bato Kannon, Juntei Kannon, Senju Kannon, Fukukensaku Kannon, Juichimen Kannon, and one Jizo Bosatsu image. The group was designated a Historic Site of Kitaibaraki City in 1985. Current official tourism information lists Jorenji's visiting hours as 8:00–17:00, or until 16:00 from October through March, allowing visitors to walk among the outdoor Kannon images in the natural gorge setting.
Minederayama Saikoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Tachiki Kannon Bosatsu (Eleven-Faced Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県石岡市吉生2734
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (housed in a storage hall; confirm viewing availability and hours with the temple)
DignitySolemnityDepth
Saikoin Temple on Minederayama houses a monumental 5.9 m wooden standing Tachiki Kannon Bosatsu. It is traditionally said to have been the principal image of Tachikiyama Hasedera Koshoin at the foot of the mountain, and is thought to have been carved from a single standing tree, although parts of the arms are made from joined wood. Its sculptor and date are unknown, while a record inside the image states that repairs were completed in 1737. With the efforts of local residents, it was moved to its present location in 1909 and was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1961. Ishioka City introduces it as an Eleven-Faced Kannon that ranks second in size among Japan's surviving Tachiki Kannon images, after the Thousand-Armed Kannon at Eryuji Temple in Aizu. Because the image is now housed in a storage hall, visitors should confirm in advance whether it can be viewed and at what times.
Oda Yu Jizo
Buddhist Image Stone Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Yu Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県つくば市小田4003
Visiting Status Always viewable outdoors beside the old road
GentlenessStillnessDepth
Known locally in Oda, Tsukuba, as “Yu Jizo,” this stone standing Jizo Bosatsu stands beside the old road leading to the former site of Mimurayama Seireiin Gokurakuji Temple. The 157 cm-high image is carved in high relief from a single block of granite about 70 cm square, together with its lotus pedestal, staff, wish-fulfilling jewel, and head halo, and is enclosed by a stone niche formed with side walls and a roof slab. Despite the hardness of the granite, the serene face and flowing robe lines convey the compassion of Jizo. It is an inscribed image from the late Kamakura period and was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1962. Still cared for by the people of Oda, the original image can be worshipped outdoors in its historic roadside setting.
Banshuzan Shojuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県常陸太田市増井町1514
Visiting Status Open during the Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17–18, 2026 (10:00–15:30)
RefinementSolemnityDepth
The principal image of Shojuji Temple is a wooden seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu. The 63.4 cm figure is made by joined-block construction, finished in lacquer and gold leaf, and fitted with crystal eyes. Eleven small transformed faces are arranged in two tiers above the head of the cross-legged figure. Its robe is decorated with kirikane patterns of arabesques, hemp leaves, and swastikas, together with raised-color ornament, while the slender body and facial features show a strong Song-dynasty influence. Hitachiota City dates the image to around the end of the Kamakura period, and it was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1957. Temple tradition attributes it to Jikaku Daishi, and a record states that the 15th Satake lord, Yoshiharu, performed devotional practice before the image on the 17th of every month. Normally not readily viewable, it will be publicly shown from 10:00 to 15:30 during Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17 and 18, 2026.
Nakazome Amida Hall
Buddhist Image Cast-Iron Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県常陸太田市中染町23
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (open during Shuchu Bakuryo on Oct. 17–18, 2026, 10:00–15:00)
GentlenessNobilityDepth
Housed in the storage hall at Nakazome Amida Hall, this life-size cast-iron standing Amida Nyorai measures 164.2 cm. An inscription on its back records the date April 26, 1264, together with the names of the leading donor Tobara Saemon, master caster Gon-no-kami Nyudo Sainen, fundraising monk Ryubutsubo, and master sculptor Hyugabo Ryokaku. Because of the technical difficulty of iron casting, the details are simplified, but the image is distinguished by its large spiral curls, formalized robe folds, warmly serene expression, and poised upright stance. Surviving iron Buddhist statues from the Kamakura period are rare, and the image was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2014. It is normally closed to the public, but will be shown from 10:00 to 15:00 during Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17 and 18, 2026.
Saikoji Temple (Shimotoshikazucho)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県常陸太田市下利員町957
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (open during Shuchu Bakuryo on Oct. 17–18, 2026, 10:00–15:00)
RefinementSolemnityStillness
This wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai has been preserved at Saikoji Temple in Shimotoshikazucho. The image is 143.7 cm high, or 290.7 cm including its pedestal, and sits on a nine-tier lotus throne. Behind it is a double-ring halo with Dainichi Nyorai at the top center and eleven flying celestial figures arranged to either side. Said to be carved from kaya wood using the single-block split-and-rejoined technique, it is a valuable late-Heian example of the Jocho style in Ibaraki Prefecture and was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1911. During a fire in 1923, local residents carried the image to safety, although part of its halo was damaged; later conservation work, including repairs after the Great East Japan Earthquake, has preserved it. Saikoji is now without a resident priest, and the image is normally closed to the public, but it will be shown from 10:00 to 15:00 during Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17 and 18, 2026.
Shari-san Sanko-in Kikurenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県常陸太田市上宮河内町3600
Visiting Status Open during the Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17–18, 2026 (10:00–15:00)
DignitySolemnityRefinement
Housed in the storage hall in front of Kikurenji Temple's main hall, this wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon is made of joined hinoki wood and reaches 350 cm in height. It is the second-largest Buddhist statue in Ibaraki Prefecture after the wooden Tachiki Kannon Bosatsu in Ishioka City. Its overwhelming scale is matched by a massive, weighty presence, with a deeply carved, refined and elongated face. After the preceding Thousand-Armed Kannon was damaged by fire during the Kanasa conflict at the end of the Heian period, this image was newly created in the Kamakura period. An offering tablet formerly placed inside the statue bears a record from April 1244. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1979. It will be open to the public from 10:00 to 15:00 during Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17 and 18, 2026.
Kosenji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Amida Nyorai (Stone Buddhas of Jikicho Cave) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県常陸太田市松栄町615
Visiting Status Open during the Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17, 2026 (10:00–15:30)
MysteryStillnessDepth
Carved into the rear wall of the innermost chamber of Jikicho Cave, an approximately 11 m-deep rock grotto on the hillside east of Kosenji Temple, this seated Amida Nyorai forms the central figure of an Amida triad. A standing Kannon Bosatsu is carved to the right and a standing Seishi Bosatsu to the left. Hitachiota City dates the carvings to the late Heian period, and they were designated a Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1970 as the “Stone Buddhas of Jikicho Cave.” According to tradition, the monk Ryoyo Shogei, second head priest of Jofukuji Temple, took refuge in this cave between 1388 and 1396 to escape fires at Jofukuji and warfare involving the Satake, and wrote the ten-volume Ketsugisho Jikicho here, from which the cave is said to take its name. During Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17, 2026, the cave will be open from 10:00 to 15:30, with the Amida triad illuminated for viewing.
Komyozan Anyoji Raikoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県常陸太田市大里町3708
Visiting Status Open during the Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17–18, 2026 (10:00–15:30)
PeacefulnessRefinementStillness
Enshrined in the Amida Hall of Komyozan Anyoji Raikoin Temple, this wooden seated Amida Nyorai is a half-joroku image about 155.6 cm high, carved from a single block of keyaki wood. Traces of gold leaf remain on the surface, suggesting that the image was originally fully gilded. Its finely rendered spiral curls, carved eyes, and the Jobon Josho hand gesture indicate a date at the end of the Heian period, and it was designated a Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1965. An ink inscription beneath the upper board of the pedestal records repairs during 1661–1673. Tradition holds that the image was originally the principal image of Fugen-in Temple in Isohama, present-day Oarai, and was later brought to this site. Raikoin is now without a resident priest, but the image will be open from 10:00 to 15:30 during Hitachiota City's Shuchu Bakuryo event on October 17 and 18, 2026.
Shunmeizan Muryojuin Saifukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県東茨城郡大洗町磯浜町5298
Visiting Status Viewable during visiting hours (8:30–17:00; visible from the outer sanctuary of the main hall)
PeacefulnessGentlenessRefinement
The principal image of Saifukuji Temple's main hall is a wooden seated Amida Nyorai. The 89.1 cm figure is made by joined-block construction, has crystal eyes, and forms the Jobon Josho mudra of Amida. The face and chest are finished with gold pigment, while the robe folds are painted a pale reddish-brown, and the image remains in good condition. Its serene expression is characteristic of a work thought to date to the end of the Muromachi period, and it was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1969. The Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education states that the principal image can be viewed from the outer sanctuary of the main hall, where worshippers sit. Current visitor information lists hours of 8:30–17:00, allowing the original image to be seen during ordinary visits.
Yoshidayama Yakuoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県水戸市元吉田町682
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (contact the temple by phone at least one week before viewing inside the main hall)
RefinementPowerSolemnity
The principal image of Yoshidayama Yakuoin Temple is a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai. According to the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education, the 86.3 cm image is principally carved from a single block of cedar, has carved eyes, and is now largely bare wood. Its large ushnisha, rounded yet firm cheeks, long powerful eyes, and substantial body preserve archaic features of the Japanese Heian style, and it is dated to around the latter half of the 11th to the first half of the 12th century. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1959. The temple officially enshrines it as a Yakushi triad with Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu as attendants. Visitors wishing to see the interior of the main hall must contact the temple by phone at least one week in advance.
Shokozan Oyama Zenbo Amida-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県那珂市額田南郷375
Visiting Status Advance contact required (contact the temple before visiting)
PeacefulnessRefinementNobility
The principal image of Shokozan Oyama Zenbo Amida-ji Temple is a wooden standing Amida Nyorai. The 95.4 cm figure is made of joined hinoki wood, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, and fitted with crystal eyes. It wears a robe covering both shoulders, forms the raigo mudra, and is accompanied by a radiating halo and a split-lotus pedestal. Its large spiral curls and low ushnisha show Kamakura-period characteristics, and the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education dates it to the Kamakura period. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1971. Amida-ji is traditionally counted as the 14th temple of the Twenty-Four Disciples of Shinran and is associated with Shinran's disciple Joshin as its founder. Current visitor guidance states that advance contact is required.
Homan-zan Ichijoin Temple
Buddhist Image Japan's Tallest Bishamonten Statue Category Tenbu (Deva)
茨城県那珂市飯田1085
Visiting Status Open for worship during reception hours (9:00–16:00; interior viewing available)
PowerDignitySolemnity
A giant Bishamonten statue stands in the grounds of Homan-zan Ichijoin Temple. The temple officially describes it as “Japan's tallest Bishamonten,” measuring about 16 m from the base, and it continues to be worshipped for good fortune, protection from misfortune, and protection from unlucky directions. Visitors can worship the original statue up close in the temple grounds. A field report updated in May 2026 also confirms that visitors can enter the statue for interior viewing, where small Buddhist images and vividly colored mandalas can be seen. Ichijoin belongs to the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism, and its official reception hours are 9:00–16:00. The monumental statue itself makes this one of Ibaraki's most distinctive Buddhist destinations.
Yoko-zan Gassanji Temple
Buddhist Image Yakushi Nyorai (Principal Image) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県桜川市西小塙1677
Visiting Status Open during visiting hours (8:00–16:00; free admission)
RefinementPeacefulnessStillness
The principal image of Yoko-zan Gassanji Temple is Yakushi Nyorai. Gassanji's official website states that visitors can view it together with a variety of Buddhist images preserved at the temple, including Amida Nyorai, Fudo Myoo, and the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Kanzeon Bosatsu. Multiple Yakushi Nyorai images are preserved at Gassanji, and prefectural and city cultural-property sources differ in the measurements attributed to the principal image, so no specific dimensions are stated here. Regular visiting hours are 8:00–16:00, admission is free, and the image can be viewed during ordinary visits.