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Tomiya Kannon Oyama-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Shakyamuni Nyorai (principal image of the pagoda) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県桜川市富谷2186
Visiting Status Three-Story Pagoda special opening, November 21–23, 2026 (9:00–16:00; ¥500)
SolemnityRefinementNobility
Shakyamuni Nyorai is enshrined in the nationally designated Important Cultural Property three-story pagoda of Oyama-ji Temple, popularly known as Tomiya Kannon. Inside the pagoda, Shakyamuni Nyorai occupies the center front, with Fugen Bosatsu to the west and Monju Bosatsu to the east. An inscription on the pagoda's finial jewel records that it was rebuilt in 1465 with Tagaya Tomotsune as chief patron and the carpenter Soami Ieyoshi and his heir among the builders, making it one of the few surviving pagodas from the Muromachi period in the Kanto region or farther north. The interior is not normally open for unrestricted viewing, but the temple's current official notice announces a special opening on November 21–23, 2026, from 9:00 to 16:00, with a ¥500 viewing fee. This provides an opportunity to see the three enshrined figures inside the pagoda.
Shiratozan Manjuin Sairenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県行方市西蓮寺504
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled on January 8, April 8, and September 24–30)
PowerDignityDepth
The principal image of Sairenji Temple is a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai. The 150 cm figure is carved from a single block with the back hollowed out. Its flared nostrils, boldly cut eyes and brows, thick lips, and powerful arms create a forceful appearance, while the robe carving preserves traces of the honpa-shiki wave pattern and original white pigment remains in some recessed areas. Temple tradition says that the founding monk Saisen carved the image himself, while the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education dates it to the end of the Muromachi period. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1958. The Yakushi Hall serves as a prayer hall for viewing the principal image, and the temple officially states that it is unveiled on January 8, April 8, and September 24–30.
Shiiosan Yakuoin Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Yakushi Rurikō Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県桜川市真壁町椎尾3178
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled for one week each year around the April 8 Hana Matsuri; confirm details in advance)
MysteryDepthRefinement
The hidden principal image of Shiiosan Yakuoin Temple is a seated Yakushi Rurikō Nyorai. This 50 cm gilt-bronze image lost both wrists in a fire in 1550, but most of the main body escaped the flames. Its hair is arranged in distinctive concentric bundles, and Sakuragawa City dates it to the middle Kamakura period. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture in 1955. Yakuoin has long been revered as a place of prayer for recovery from illness, and current official tourism information states that the hidden principal image is unveiled for one week each year around the April 8 Hana Matsuri. Regular visiting hours are 9:00–16:00, and visitors are advised to confirm the exact unveiling schedule with the temple in advance.
Myokanzan Kannon-in Hasedera Temple (Koga Hase Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kanzeon Bosatsu (Hase Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県古河市長谷町5-1
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (viewable inside the main hall during the 11:00 and 14:00 prayer services; confirm the schedule with the temple)
DignityWarmthSolemnity
The principal image of Hasedera Temple, affectionately known as Koga Hase Kannon, is a wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kanzeon Bosatsu. According to Koga City, the image measures 6 shaku 8 sun 1 bu, or about 2 m, and is a city-designated cultural property. Temple tradition holds that during the Meio era (1492–1501), Koga Kubo Ashikaga Shigeuji invited the Hase Kannon of Kamakura to this site as a guardian of the northeast, the inauspicious direction of Koga Castle, and that successive lords of Koga prayed here. Counted traditionally among Japan's three great Hase Kannon together with the temples in Kamakura and Yamato, it continues to attract worshippers seeking protection from misfortune and other blessings. Current visitor information states that the Bodhisattva can be viewed inside the main hall during prayer services at 11:00 and 14:00. Visitors should confirm in advance that the service will be held on the day of their visit.
Taikozan Yuki-in Shinhasedera Temple (Haccho Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kanzeon Bosatsu (Maedachi image) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県結城郡八千代町八町149
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (Maedachi image in the Kannon Hall; confirm opening and viewing hours with the temple)
RefinementDignityDepth
At Shinhasedera Temple, affectionately known as Haccho Kannon, this wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kanzeon Bosatsu is enshrined as the Maedachi image placed before the principal image. Made of joined hinoki wood, it stands 102 cm high, dates from the late Kamakura to the Nanbokucho period, and was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Yachiyo Town in 1993. Even the tiny transformed faces above the head are carefully carved, while the openwork copper crown depicts a jewel, chrysanthemum, and lotus motifs. The fingers and toes show joint lines and crescent-shaped nails, and the right palm even includes detailed palm lines, making the statue remarkable for its highly realistic and precise carving. It is a separate image from the hidden principal image, which is a prefectural cultural property, and serves as the image worshipped in front of it. Visitors should confirm the Kannon Hall's opening and viewing hours with the temple before visiting.
Kunimisan Houtaiin Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Daibutsu Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県笠間市箱田2458
Visiting Status Viewable from the temple grounds (interior opens on the first weekend of Golden Week; check official dates)
PowerDignitySolemnity
The Shaka Nyorai Daibutsu stands on elevated ground within Kunimisan Houtaiin, a Soto Zen temple. The temple's official website describes its grounds as containing a complex of halls and large Buddhist statues and includes the Shaka Nyorai Daibutsu in its annual events. Houtaiin was restored in 1476 when Kasama Tomosada invited the monk Chikuo Enpu, and the present grounds also include the main hall, a Kannon hall, a five-story pagoda, and a giant Daruma Daishi statue. The Shaka Nyorai Daibutsu can be worshipped from the temple grounds, while a Shaka Nyorai service and opening of the Daibutsu interior are held on the first weekend of Golden Week. In a notice dated April 30, 2026, the temple also announced the opening of both the Shaka Nyorai and Daruma Daishi Daibutsu, making the monumental image itself a clear reason to visit.
Unkozan Kezoin Seiryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Amida Nyorai (central figure of the Amida triad) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県守谷市板戸井1910
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled Dec. 31–Jan. 3, on the vernal equinox, Aug. 13–16, and on the autumnal equinox; check for service-related viewing restrictions)
PeacefulnessWarmthMystery
Seiryuji Temple's hidden principal image is a standing Amida Nyorai, enshrined in the main hall as the central figure of an Amida triad with standing Kanzeon and Daiseishi Bosatsu as attendants. According to the temple, although it suffered major fires in the past, the principal image alone escaped destruction, and it is revered as the “Fire-Protecting Amida,” receiving prayers for household safety. In the center of the main hall is a special area called the Manji-tatami, where tatami mats are arranged in a swastika shape beneath a canopy; during unveilings, visitors can sit there and worship while meeting Amida's gaze. The principal image is unveiled four times each year: from December 31 to January 3, on the vernal equinox, from August 13 to 16, and on the autumnal equinox. These regular openings provide clearly scheduled opportunities for ordinary visitors to encounter the actual image in the main hall. Because services may restrict viewing at some times, visitors should check the latest notice before going.
Bucchozan Ryogonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県笠間市片庭775
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled each year for the April 8 Hana Matsuri; other visits require prior approval arranged through the Kasama City Board of Education)
SolemnityNobilityDepth
The wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu at Bucchozan Ryogonji Temple is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Made in 1252, the statue stands 207.5 cm high. It is constructed from joined blocks of hinoki wood, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, and fitted with crystal eyes. Eleven faces rise above the head, and the figure displays the principal hands, a bowl-associated hand, and forty additional arms. Its high topknot and complex treatment of the robes clearly reflect the Kei school style of the Kamakura period. An inscription on the back indicates that the image was commissioned through the vow of Kasama Tokitomo, lord of Kasama Castle. The original halo has been lost. The statue is now kept in a repository together with Fudo Myoo and Bishamonten. According to Kasama City, it is unveiled each year for the April 8 Hana Matsuri; viewing at other times requires the temple's approval arranged through the city Board of Education.
Iwayaji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県笠間市来栖2696
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled every April 8; other visits require prior approval arranged through the Kasama City Board of Education)
RefinementNobilityDepth
The wooden standing Yakushi Nyorai at Iwayaji Temple is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education dates it to 1253. Made of joined hinoki wood, it is finished with lacquer and gold leaf and fitted with crystal eyes and a crystal urna. The figure stands with a medicine jar on the left hand and the right hand extended forward in a gesture resembling the abhaya mudra. Its boat-shaped halo features double circular motifs, an eight-petaled design, and openwork cloud-and-flame patterns, and much of the original halo survives. Iwayaji also preserves a seated Yakushi Nyorai from the late Heian period; both statues are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. The standing image is normally closed to the public but is unveiled every April 8. Viewing at other times requires the temple's prior approval arranged through the Kasama City Board of Education.
Daizozan Fukusenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Shakyamuni Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県鉾田市大蔵113
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (public unveiling every April 8)
RefinementNobilityDepth
The wooden standing Shakyamuni Nyorai, the principal image of Fukusenji Temple, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The life-size statue is 165.5 cm high and is made of joined hinoki wood. It is left in a plain wood finish without gold leaf or lacquer, while crystal is set into the eyes and the urna between the brows. Its large spiral curls are carved like coiled rope, and the parallel robe folds that sweep in semicircular lines around the body give the image an exotic character. The golden halo bears relief images of twelve Buddhas, six on each side. Tradition attributes the statue to a Kasuga sculptor, while the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education dates it to the late Kamakura period. It is normally kept in the repository but is publicly unveiled every April 8, when the original statue can be viewed.
Sakuyama Tamonin Yakushiji Temple
Buddhist Image Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県東茨城郡城里町石塚1422
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled on January 1 and April 8)
PowerDignityDepth
The Yakushi Triad preserved at Sakuyama Tamonin Yakushiji Temple is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The central seated Yakushi Nyorai is 137.8 cm high and made of split-and-joined hinoki wood. Its powerful, stern expression and substantial body retain the gentle treatment of robe folds associated with the Heian period while showing techniques of the early Kamakura period. Inside the statue is a 4.3 cm bronze seated Yakushi thought to date from the Heian period, and the central image is accompanied by standing images of Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattva. The group was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1911. It is normally closed to the public, but tourism information updated in 2026 states that it is unveiled for New Year's worship on January 1 and the Hana Matsuri on April 8; an actual unveiling was also confirmed at the 2025 Hana Matsuri.
Kudokuzan Miroku Kyokai
Buddhist Image Miroku Buddha Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県笠間市石寺510-1
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (shown each year at the April 8 Hana Matsuri; other visits require prior approval arranged through the Kasama City Board of Education)
DignityRefinementDepth
The wooden standing Miroku Buddha preserved at Miroku Kyokai is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Made in 1247, the statue is 175.2 cm high. It is constructed from joined hinoki wood, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, and fitted with crystal eyes; its double-ring halo and pedestal also retain original material from the time of construction. Large spiral curls, a low cranial protuberance, and complex robe folds show both Song-dynasty influence and features of Kamakura sculpture. An ink inscription inside the statue identifies it as an image commissioned through the vow of Kasama Tokitomo. It is normally closed to the public, but Kasama City states that it is shown each year at the April 8 Hana Matsuri. Viewing at other times requires prior approval obtained through the city Board of Education.
Kankyozan Hundred Rock-Carved Buddhas
Buddhist Image Hundred Rock-Carved Buddhas (Jizo, Kannon, Fudo Myo-o and others) Category Other
茨城県かすみがうら市上志筑634
Visiting Status Open-air viewing available (use the access road within the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute grounds; do not enter fenced or chained-off areas; watch your footing)
MysteryStillnessDepth
This prefecturally designated cultural property consists of more than one hundred images of Jizo and Kannon Bodhisattvas and others carved in low relief and incised lines on a massive granite boulder halfway up Mount Kankyo. Tradition attributes the carvings to Jokai, who revived Ganjoji Temple, and the group also includes an incised Fudo Myoo, Buddha-form figures, and the Sixteen Arhats. The dates span a wide period: the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education notes images from the Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods, while Kasumigaura City sees the Jizo figures as centering on the early Edo period. Popularly known as the “Hundred Kannon,” this is a rare group of rock-carved Buddhist images that can be seen on the original mountain boulder. The site lies on the Kanto Fureai Trail route called the “Fruit Village Path,” but access uses a road within the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute grounds. Visitors must stay outside fenced and chain-rope restricted areas and take care underfoot.
Shimodate Community Exchange Center Arterio
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu (Hyaku Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県筑西市丙372
Visiting Status Viewable while the facility is open (9:00–22:00; closed Mondays and December 28–January 4)
RefinementWarmthStillness
This bronze standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu, a Chikusei City-designated cultural property, is permanently displayed on the first floor of the Shimodate Community Exchange Center “Arterio.” The statue itself is 120 cm high and 172 cm overall. It was dedicated in 1706 by Kuroda Buzen-no-kami Naokuni (Naoshige), lord of the Shimodate domain, in prayer for peace throughout the realm and the prosperity of the country. Commonly called “Hyaku Kannon,” it was created together with ninety-nine smaller Kannon images about 30 cm high that were enshrined at temples throughout the domain, but those smaller images were dispersed during the anti-Buddhist movement of the Meiji period. The main statue was donated to the city in 1976 and is now displayed publicly on Arterio's first floor. Although this is a public cultural facility rather than a temple, it offers a rare opportunity to see a large Edo-period bronze Kannon directly during normal opening hours.
Shakazan Daienji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県守谷市大木676
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (normally worshipped from outside; contact the temple in advance to view the principal image)
GentlenessRefinementDepth
The wooden seated Shakyamuni Nyorai, principal image of Daienji Temple, is an Ibaraki Prefecture-designated cultural property. The 146 cm statue is carved from zelkova wood. Its slightly large head, gentle childlike face, fine spiral curls, and shallow parallel robe folds show characteristics of the Jocho style in the Kanto region at the end of the Heian period in the 12th century. The position with the left leg crossed above the right and damage to the fingertips of the left hand have led to the suggestion that the image was originally Yakushi Nyorai and was altered to Shakyamuni during a later repair. An inscription inside records repairs carried out in 1689 by the master Buddhist sculptor Jakugen. Worship is normally from outside, but recent in-person viewing examples are known; visitors wishing to see the principal image should confirm with the temple in advance.
Semui-zan Enmeiin Nakadate Kannonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kannon Bosatsu (Enmei Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
茨城県筑西市中舘522-1
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (unveiled once every two years at the Hokke Zanmaie ceremony on November 23; confirm the year and time in advance)
NobilityRefinementDepth
The wooden standing Kannon Bosatsu, principal image of Nakadate Kannonji Temple, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Also called “Enmei Kannon,” it dates from the Kamakura period. The 102.2 cm statue is made of joined hinoki wood and has six arms, holding a five-pronged bell, spear, bow, five-pronged vajra, unopened lotus, and arrow. It has a circular halo and a four-tiered lotus pedestal. An ink repair inscription dated 1363 remains on the inner back, together with a wooden repair tablet dated 1716. It was designated a National Treasure under the former system in 1922 and is now an Important Cultural Property. The image is normally closed to the public, but it has been confirmed that it is unveiled once every two years at the Hokke Zanmaie ceremony on November 23. The year and time of the unveiling should be confirmed in advance.
Hagurozan Shorensha Shakado (Detached Buddhist Hall of Amida-ji Temple)
Buddhist Image Wooden Reclining Shakyamuni (Nirvana Image) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
茨城県稲敷市上根本2513
Visiting Status Unveiled on the 8th of every month (June 8 is the Reclining Buddha Hana Matsuri)
MysteryPeacefulnessDepth
The wooden reclining Shakyamuni enshrined at Hagurozan Shorensha Shakado is an Ibaraki Prefecture-designated cultural property. The joined-wood image, finished with lacquer and gold leaf, is 194 cm long (about 2 m according to the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education). It depicts Shakyamuni entering nirvana, lying on his right side with his right hand supporting his head and his left hand resting at his waist. The work is thought to date from the early Edo period, and the prefectural Board of Education regards it as an outstanding example among the relatively few nirvana images in Ibaraki. Shakado is a detached Buddhist hall of the Ji-shu temple Amida-ji and is traditionally said to have been built in 1631. Today the principal image is unveiled on the 8th of every month. At the annual “Reclining Buddha Hana Matsuri” on June 8, worshippers also observe the “Koshimaki Ogami” tradition, praying for freedom from illness and a peaceful rebirth.
Zuishoin Temple
Buddhist Image Group of Five Hundred Rakan Stone Statues Category Other
茨城県稲敷市江戸崎甲3076
Visiting Status Open-air viewing available (within the grounds and on the rear hill of Zuishoin; stone steps climb through a bamboo grove, so watch your footing)
MysteryDepthStillness
A large group of stone Rakan statues stands on “Rakan-yama,” the hill behind Zuishoin Temple. Toyoshima Washichi of Edosaki, after making a pilgrimage to temples and shrines across Japan while praying for his blind elder brother to regain his sight, vowed to create the statues in gratitude for Buddhist blessings. Construction took twenty-four years, from 1780 to 1804. The names of 522 donors have been confirmed; 493 statues remain today, and 80 of them bear inscribed names. After climbing stone steps through a dense bamboo grove, visitors encounter numerous stone figures spread across the hilltop, creating a distinctive landscape that is also counted among the Eight Views of Edosaki as “Evening Glow at Rakan-yama.” The statues can be viewed outdoors, but care is required on the stone steps leading up the rear hill.
Rokusho Daibutsu
Buddhist Image Rokusho Daibutsu Category Other
茨城県つくば市神郡2394
Visiting Status Always accessible for outdoor worship (no regular closing days)
WarmthStillnessSolemnity
Rokusho Daibutsu is an approximately 5 m-high Buddhist statue standing amid rural scenery in the Rokusho district at the foot of Mount Tsukuba. It is introduced in an official Tsukuba City tourism model course and is distinguished by an open landscape with Mount Tsukuba rising behind it. Nearby are the sacred remains of Rokusho Kotai Jingu, formerly the village shrine of Tsukubasan Shrine, and Rokusho Falls, associated with an old route to Tsukubasan Shrine, making it possible to combine a visit with a historical walk around the foothills. The outdoor statue was erected privately. Because official sources do not identify which Buddhist figure it represents, the name is recorded by its common name, “Rokusho Daibutsu,” and the category as “Other.” It stands outdoors with no regular closing days and can normally be visited at any time.
Jiunzan Muryojuin Hozenji Temple (Ono Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongo Rikishi Pair (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
茨城県稲敷市小野318
Visiting Status Normally viewable at the Niomon Gate during a visit to the temple grounds
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi statues, Agyo and Ungyo, is enshrined in the Niomon Gate of Hozenji Temple, popularly known as Ono Kannon. Made in 1402, they are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Ibaraki Prefecture. The Agyo figure on the right opens its mouth wide, raises its left elbow, and grips a vajra, while the Ungyo figure on the left keeps its mouth closed; both display fierce wrathful expressions. These medieval guardian figures are bare-chested with their hair tied up, and they remain installed on either side of the temple gate, where they can be seen directly during ordinary visits. Hozenji is an old Tendai temple traditionally founded in 826, and the opportunity to see medieval Buddhist sculpture in its original temple setting is a major attraction.