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Hannyazan Hosho-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Ofune Kannon (Sho Kannon Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県秩父郡小鹿野町般若2661
Visiting Status Open to general worship (the inner sanctuary requires a roughly one-hour round trip over a mountain path, rocky slopes and chain sections. Those unable to make the climb can worship from the inner-sanctuary viewing point in front of the main hall. Chichibu pilgrimage stamp office hours: Mar–Oct 8:00–17:00, Nov–Feb 8:00–16:00, lunch break 12:00–12:30; open year-round)
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At the inner sanctuary of Hosho-ji, Temple No. 32 of the Chichibu pilgrimage, Ofune Kannon—Sho Kannon Bodhisattva—is enshrined at the prow of Ofune Rock, a ship-shaped mass of rock about 200 m long. The route from the Kannon Hall crosses a mountain path and continues over rocky slopes and chain-assisted sections, with a round trip taking about an hour. A Dainichi Nyorai image is also enshrined toward the rear of the rock, from which the surrounding Chichibu mountains can be seen. Visitors who cannot climb to the inner sanctuary can still worship the Kannon from the marked viewing point in front of the main hall. The union of dramatic natural rock and Kannon devotion makes this one of the most distinctive sites on the Chichibu pilgrimage.
Kisshozan Daichu-in Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Shogun Jizo Standing Statue Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県秩父郡横瀬町横瀬1399
Visiting Status Open to the public (Yokoze Town's official page explicitly lists the statue as “public”; no viewing hours are specified)
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The bronze Shogun Jizo standing statue at Daichu-in was formerly enshrined as the sacred image of a small Atago shrine on the mountainside behind the temple. It is a solid bronze figure cast in a single pour and bears no inscription, but its refined facial expression, jewel and staff, and dynamically twisted waist suggest a date around the middle of the Edo period. It is an example of the Shogun Jizo images found widely in the Chichibu region and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by Yokoze Town as a work demonstrating the high skill of its model maker and caster. Yokoze Town officially lists it as publicly viewable, and Saitama Prefecture's official tourism site presents it as one of Daichu-in's highlights.
Gakucho-zan Torin-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Chichibu Daibutsu (Shaka Nyorai) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
埼玉県秩父郡横瀬町横瀬3537
Visiting Status Viewable inside the main hall (visitors should speak to the resident priest when viewing)
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The Chichibu Daibutsu at Torin-ji was created in 1989 by Suiundo. The Yokoze tourism association describes the statue as embodying prayers for world peace and the salvation of all people. Originally installed in front of the main hall, it has since been moved inside; Saitama Prefecture's official sightseeing itinerary instructs visitors to speak to the resident priest when viewing it. Torin-ji is a Soto Zen temple traditionally said to have been founded in the early Kan'ei era (1624–1645) and is about a seven-minute walk from Yokoze Station. The modern monumental Buddha can thus be viewed within the temple's living devotional space.
Genso-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Hirato no Obotoke (Seated Yakushi Nyorai and Kanzeon Bosatsu) Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva
埼玉県熊谷市平戸644
Visiting Status Regular public opening (normally the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, 10:00–12:00; walk-in registration, free admission. Check the latest official schedule before visiting.)
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The “Hirato no Obotoke” in the main hall of Genso-ji consists of two large wooden Buddhist images from the Edo period: a seated Yakushi Buddha on the viewer's right and a seated Kanzeon Bodhisattva on the left. Each reaches about 4 m including its pedestal and is made with joined-block wood construction. They are among the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Saitama Prefecture and are designated Tangible Cultural Properties by Kumagaya City. Tradition holds that secret medicinal texts were discovered inside the two statues, and many people once came seeking remedies prepared from these formulas, known as “Hirato no Myoyaku.” Following a preservation and restoration project begun in 2019, restoration of the statues was completed in August 2023. The main hall is now normally opened to the public on the first and third Sundays of each month, allowing visitors to worship the two monumental images from directly in front.
Yakuo-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Buddhist Images by Enku at Yakuo-ji (29 figures including the Yakushi Triad and Twelve Heavenly Generals) Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva / Wisdom King / Deva / Other
埼玉県さいたま市見沼区島町1086
Visiting Status Opened seven times a year (Jan 1, Feb 28, Mar 12, May 8, Aug 12, Sep 12 and Dec 8; generally around 13:00–15:00, except Jan 1 from 10:00–12:00. Times follow temple ceremonies, so confirm details in advance.)
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Yakuo-ji preserves a group of 29 Buddhist images carved by Enku, the itinerant monk-sculptor of the early Edo period. At the center are a 68.2 cm standing Yakushi Buddha, a 66.9 cm Nikko Bodhisattva and a 67.0 cm Gakko Bodhisattva; research has confirmed that these three figures were carved by splitting a single log into three pieces. The group also includes the Twelve Heavenly Generals, Ryuzu Kannon, Fudo Myoo, Zennyo Ryuo, Nio guardians, Kongojin, Shomen Kongo, Zenzai Doji and Karura, among other figures. All 29 are designated Tangible Cultural Properties by Saitama City. They are not permanently on view, but on seven annual opening days visitors can see the ensemble together in the main hall, offering a rare opportunity to experience both the variety and scale of Enku's carving.
Takayama Fudoson (Kokizan Joraku-in Temple)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Statue of Gundari Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
埼玉県飯能市高山346
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (scheduled to be unveiled after the service beginning at 11:00 on December 22, 2026)
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The wooden standing statue of Gundari Myoo at Takayama Fudoson is a 228.8 cm hinoki cypress image carved from a single block of wood and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It has one face, two eyes and eight arms; the right hands hold a three-pronged vajra, while the left hands hold a spear, a Dharma wheel and other attributes, and red snakes coil around both arms and legs. Because of its distinctive iconography and carving style, the exact date is difficult to determine, but Hanno City considers it to date to the 11th century or earlier. It is normally closed to the public, but in fiscal 2026 it is scheduled to be unveiled after the service beginning at 11:00 on December 22, offering a rare opportunity to view this more-than-two-meter-tall Heian-period Gundari Myoo at the temple.
Shotokuzan Tenshuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Statue of Prince Shotoku Category Other
埼玉県行田市大字荒木1614
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled every year on February 22 during the annual Prince Shotoku festival)
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The wooden standing statue of Prince Shotoku at Tenshuji depicts the 16-year-old prince praying for the recovery of his father, Emperor Yomei, and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Made of joined hinoki cypress, an inscription inside records that it was created in Kamakura in 1247 by the Buddhist sculptor Keizen at the request of Mori Suemitsu, a member of the Kamakura shogunate's council. It is regarded as Japan’s oldest dated filial-piety image of Prince Shotoku. Its lifelike Kamakura-period expression also shows influences associated with the Unkei tradition and Song-dynasty style. Normally kept closed to the public, it is unveiled each year on February 22 during the annual Prince Shotoku festival.
Honeiji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Amida Tathagata and Attendant Bodhisattvas (Amida, Kannon and Seishi) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
埼玉県加須市日出安1286
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (a January 2026 visit report states that the statues can be viewed through glass from outside the Amida Hall; advance contact is recommended for viewing inside the hall)
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The wooden Amida triad at Honeiji Temple was created in 1196 by the Kei-school Buddhist sculptor Sokei and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The central seated Amida Buddha is flanked by Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas, and an inscription inside the central image records the principal donors, the monk who led the fundraising, and the sculptor. Carved from hinoki cypress using the split-and-joined technique, the figures measure 88.3 cm for Amida, 105.3 cm for Kannon and 94.8 cm for Seishi. As an inscribed work by an early Kei-school sculptor, the triad is especially valuable. A January 2026 visit report states that the statues can be viewed through glass from outside the Amida Hall, with lighting provided. Viewing arrangements may change, so confirming conditions before visiting is advisable.
Jozanji Temple
Buddhist Image Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県越谷市野島32
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled every year on February 24 and August 24; the August 24, 2026 unveiling is also scheduled)
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Jozanji Temple’s principal image, the wooden standing Jizo Bodhisattva known as Nojima Jizo, is an early Heian-period sculpture designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The 92.5 cm figure is carved from a single block of kaya wood, with carved eyes and polychrome decoration. Its full-bodied form and deeply cut, sharp drapery folds suggest that it may date as early as the first half of the 9th century, making it one of the oldest surviving examples of Jizo sculpture. During the Edo period it became widely known through repeated public exhibitions at Yushima Tenjin in Edo. Since the modern period it has been kept as a hidden image and unveiled only on its annual festival days, February 24 and August 24; the August 24, 2026 unveiling is also confirmed.
Rinsenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Statue Traditionally Identified as Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県越谷市増林3818
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled in April in recent years. In 2026, a special extended unveiling was held April 10–20, 8:00–17:00. Check for the next scheduled opening.)
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Rinsenji Temple preserves a wooden seated image traditionally identified as Sho Kannon Bodhisattva, an 84.0 cm joined-wood sculpture with gold pigment designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. An ink inscription dated 1304 survives on the backboard, and a graffito can be seen behind the knees. As a dated late-Kamakura-period sculpture it is especially valuable, and its distinctive facial features and clothing reflect the influence of Song-dynasty art then circulating in the Kanto region. In 2024, following its first restoration in roughly 80 years, the image was unveiled for the first time after restoration. In 2026, an extended unveiling was held from April 10 to 20, 8:00–17:00.
Shojoin Temple
Buddhist Image Two Wooden Seated Amida Tathagata Statues Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
埼玉県越谷市大松60
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (typically unveiled around the spring equinox period. Official Koshigaya City records confirm public openings every year from 2022 through 2025. Check for the next scheduled opening.)
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Shojoin Temple preserves two wooden seated statues of Amida Tathagata, both designated Tangible Cultural Properties by Koshigaya City. One is a 62 cm joined-wood image dating from the late Fujiwara period to the early Kamakura period. The other is a 60 cm single-block sculpture from the Heian period. The chance to compare two Amida images from different periods and construction traditions is a distinctive feature of this site. Koshigaya City has held public unveilings around the spring equinox period in recent years, with official records confirming openings every year from 2022 through 2025.
Godaisan Monjuji Temple
Buddhist Image Manjushri Bosatsu (Wooden Manjushri Image) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県熊谷市野原623
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled at the annual Monju festival; from 2027 the festival is held every January 25. Through 2026 it was held on February 25)
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Monjuji Temple's principal image is a hidden wooden image of Manjushri Bodhisattva seated on a lion. Temple tradition dates the statue to the Muromachi period and says it was rescued from the fire that destroyed Nomanji in 1481, then kept at the home of a representative of the temple's parishioners until the temple was rebuilt. Monjuji describes the image as one of Japan's three celebrated Manjushri Bodhisattvas, together with Kireto Monju in Kyoto and Kameoka Monju in Yamagata, and it has long attracted worshippers seeking wisdom and academic success. The principal image is unveiled at the annual Monju festival. It was opened on February 25 in 2026, and the temple has announced that from 2027 the festival will be held every January 25.
Kobuchizan Shokenji Kannon-in Temple
Buddhist Image Kobuchi Kannon-in Enku Statue Group (Sho Kannon Bosatsu, Fudo Myo-o, Bishamonten, Zao Gongen, En no Gyoja, Yasha Myojin and Goho Daizenjin) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県春日部市小渕1634
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (the seven statues are unveiled once a year at the Enku Buddha Festival, usually during Golden Week. In 2026, the festival has been moved to September 19–October 4, 10:00–17:00.)
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The Kobuchi Kannon-in Enku statue group consists of seven wooden images carved by Enku, the itinerant ascetic monk of the early Edo period, and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. The group comprises standing Sho Kannon Bodhisattva, Fudo Myoo, Bishamonten and Zao Gongen, an image of En no Gyoja, and images of Yasha Myojin and Goho Daizenjin, ranging from 28.8 to 194.0 cm in height. The 194.0 cm Sho Kannon is among the largest single-block Enku images in the Kanto region. Their forceful hatchet-cut surfaces are balanced by the gentle smiles characteristic of Enku's work. Normally kept from public view, all seven are unveiled once a year at the Enku Buddha Festival. In 2026, the festival has been moved from its usual Golden Week timing to September 19–October 4 to coincide with the temple's once-in-60-years unveiling of its principal image.
Tokisan Jikoji Temple
Buddhist Image Juichimen Senju Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県比企郡ときがわ町西平386
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled every year on the second Sunday of April and on April 17)
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Jikoji Temple's principal image, the Eleven-Faced, Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Kannon Bodhisattva, is enshrined in the Kannon Hall at Temple No. 9 of the Bando Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. The 270.0 cm wooden standing Senju Kannon is a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. Made of hinoki cypress in joined-block construction, with carved eyes and lacquer, its head was created in 1540 by the master Buddhist sculptor Hogen Chokei. The rest of the image was lost in a fire in 1802 and rebuilt that same year by the Edo-Kanda Buddhist sculptor Suzuki Choshiro. This monumental hidden image is unveiled every year on the second Sunday of April and on April 17.
Iwadonosan Anrakuji Temple (Yoshimi Kannon)
Buddhist Image Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県比企郡吉見町御所374
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled every year on June 18 during the Yakuyoke Asa Kannon observance)
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Anrakuji Temple, known as Yoshimi Kannon, enshrines a wooden seated Sho Kannon Bodhisattva as its principal image. The 63.3 cm statue is made of hinoki cypress in joined-block construction and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Yoshimi Town. It is thought to date to the early 14th century, from the late Kamakura to the Nanbokucho period, and retains characteristic elements of the late Song-influenced sculptural style popular in the Kanto region, including elongated eyes and varied drapery. Its careful carving and internal construction suggest a sculptor of the Kei school. An inscription inside the image records a polychrome restoration in 1573. Normally hidden from view, the statue is unveiled every June 18 during the Yakuyoke Asa Kannon observance, when visitors may worship it inside the main hall.
Kumanosan Chofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Bishamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
埼玉県久喜市菖蒲町菖蒲4531
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled January 1–3 and every year from August 13–16)
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Chofukuji Temple’s principal image is a wooden standing Bishamonten dating to the late Heian period and designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Kuki City. Clad in armor, the guardian deity tramples a demon, holds a three-pronged halberd in the right hand and raises a pagoda in the left. Its restrained wrathful expression and gently twisting stance preserve features of the Fujiwara style. During restoration in 2000, later overpainting was removed, revealing the statue’s refined original form. The quality of the carving has led to the suggestion that it may have been made in an area closer to the Kinai cultural sphere, such as Mino or Omi. Normally kept hidden, it is unveiled January 1–3 and August 13–16 each year.
Enmanji Temple
Buddhist Image Senju Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県加須市北大桑965
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (unveiled every year on the third Sunday of February during the Senju Kannon Festival)
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Enmanji Temple’s wooden seated Thousand-Armed Kannon is enshrined in a zushi in the main hall and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Kazo City. The image has 42 arms, including the joined hands and lotus-holding hands, and 11 faces including the topmost face, presenting a representative form of the Thousand-Armed Kannon. It is attributed to a Kamakura-period Buddhist sculptor in the artistic lineage of Unkei. Once a secret image unveiled only every 33 years, it is now opened annually on the third Sunday of February during the Senju Kannon Festival at the request of parishioners. In 2026 it was unveiled on February 15.
Fukutokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Iron Standing Amida Triad (Amida Tathagata, Kannon Bosatsu and Seishi Bosatsu) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
埼玉県飯能市虎秀71
Visiting Status Normally not open to the public (in FY2026, unveiled on April 15, July 16 and November 14; from around 10:00 a.m. for about one hour; canceled in rain)
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The iron standing Amida triad enshrined in the zushi of Fukutokuji Temple's Amida Hall is a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture dating to the Kamakura period. The central Amida Tathagata is 47.6 cm high, while the attendant Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas are 30 cm each. It is a Zenkoji-style triad, with all three figures standing before a single large halo, and complete iron triads of this type are rare. The bodies of the three figures were each cast in one piece, while their pedestals were cast separately and then attached by casting-on. Iron Buddhist images were especially common in eastern Japan during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods and are thought to reflect the tastes of the warrior class. The announced FY2026 viewing dates are April 15, July 16 and November 14, with viewing from around 10:00 for about one hour; viewing is canceled in rain.
Tokisan Jikoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Sacred-Monk Manjushri Bosatsu (Shoso Monju) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県比企郡ときがわ町西平386
Visiting Status Usually viewable (Treasure Hall 9:00–16:00, open year-round; check the latest admission fee)
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The wooden seated Sacred-Monk Manjushri Bodhisattva displayed in Jikoji Temple’s Kinrenzo Treasure Hall is a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. An inscription found during conservation work identifies the sculptor as Kokei and dates the image to 1295. Carved from hinoki cypress in joined-block construction with a raised-bottom form of interior hollowing, the statue has a solid physique and deep, sweeping drapery folds characteristic of vigorous Kamakura-period sculpture. Kokei is considered a sculptor in the Kei-school tradition associated with masters such as Unkei and Kaikei. Unlike the temple’s hidden principal Kannon image, this statue can normally be seen year-round in the treasure hall.
Chogakuzan Imamiya-bo Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Flying Celestial Figure (Hiten) Category Tenbu (Deva)
埼玉県秩父市中町25-12
Visiting Status Usually viewable (enshrined on the right side inside the main hall; temple stamp hours: 8:00–17:00 Mar–Oct, 8:00–16:00 Nov–Feb, lunch break 12:00–12:30)
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Imamiya-bo Temple’s wooden Hiten is a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture believed to date to the early Heian period. Though only about 30 cm high, it is carved from a single piece of zelkova wood and depicts a celestial being kneeling on a cloud while holding a lotus stem. It closely resembles the flying celestial figures on the halo of the National Treasure Yakushi Tathagata at Shojoji Temple in Fukushima, and may originally have belonged to the same sculptural ensemble. Records show that it had become an object of devotion for pilgrims at Imamiya-bo by at least the late 18th century. Today it remains visible on the right side inside the main hall of Chichibu Pilgrimage Temple No. 14.