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Omiya Kannon Jigenji Temple
Buddhist Image Senju Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県さいたま市西区水判土462
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 12 years in the Year of the Horse; the 100th unveiling was held April 11–17, 2026; next dates to be confirmed)
SolemnityMysteryNobility
The principal image of Omiya Kannon Jigenji is a hidden Thousand-Armed Kannon enshrined in the inner shrine of the Kannon Hall. Temple tradition holds that Jikaku Daishi Ennin founded the temple in 826 and carved the image with the devotional practice of making three bows for each stroke of the chisel. Saitama City cultural materials identify it as an old wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon image that may date from the late Heian to early Kamakura period. The image is unveiled only once every 12 years in the Year of the Horse. In 2026, when the temple marked its 1,200th anniversary, the 100th unveiling was held from April 11 to 17. The Kannon Hall itself is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, but opportunities to see the principal image are rare.
Hachimanzan Muryoin Senpukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Tathagata and Attendant Statues (Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas) Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva
埼玉県比企郡滑川町大字和泉1681
Visiting Status Advance application required (apply to the Namegawa Town Board of Education about one month before the desired date; viewing is accompanied by town staff and canceled in rain)
RefinementPeacefulnessDepth
Senpukuji Temple's wooden seated Amida Tathagata is an Important Cultural Property of Japan thought to date from the late Heian to early Kamakura period. The 84.3 cm image preserves the elegant sculptural tradition associated with Jocho, the leading Buddhist sculptor of the late Heian period, and an inscription inside records repairs in 1254. It is flanked by standing Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas, 105.8 cm and 105.6 cm tall, both designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Saitama Prefecture, allowing the three figures to be viewed together as an Amida triad. Viewing is not freely available, but visitors may apply to the Namegawa Town Board of Education about one month in advance and see the images in the storehouse accompanied by town staff. This makes the temple a particularly worthwhile destination for viewing important historic Buddhist sculptures in their local setting.
Kobuchizan Shokenji Kannon-in Temple
Buddhist Image Hidden Principal Image: Sho Kannon Bosatsu (Wooden Standing Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県春日部市小渕1634
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled only once every 60 years in a Hinoe-uma (Fire Horse) year; special unveiling September 19–October 4, 2026)
MysteryNobilitySolemnity
Kobuchizan Kannon-in's principal image, Sho Kannon Bodhisattva, is a hidden wooden standing bodhisattva unveiled only once every 60 years in a Hinoe-uma (Fire Horse) year. The temple regards it as a wooden image possibly dating to the Asuka period. It stands with a high coiffure, the left arm bent and the right arm gently lowered, and is identified as an image of Kannon. According to the temple tradition recorded in Kobuchizan Honzonki, the image appeared among reeds on the bank of the Tone River during a flood in 1258 and later attracted widespread devotion through accounts of miraculous efficacy. In 2026, a Hinoe-uma year, the image will receive a special unveiling from September 19 through October 4. It is the temple's emblematic principal image, and this unveiling offers an exceptionally rare opportunity to see it.
Goanzan Konjoin Temple (Yamaguchi Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon (Ura Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県所沢市上山口2203
Visiting Status Open to general worship (the Ura Kannon can be viewed when visiting the temple)
GentlenessRefinementDepth
Konjoin Temple (Yamaguchi Kannon) preserves this wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon as the “Ura Kannon,” distinct from the hidden principal image that is unveiled only once every 33 years. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Tokorozawa City, the cypress statue is made in joined-block construction and measures 77.2 cm in total height. Its gentle face, flowing robe lines and relatively full modeling of the waist retain features of the late-Heian Fujiwara style, while the facial modeling, handling of the body and use of crystal eyes indicate a date in the Kamakura period. It is regarded as one of the oldest Buddhist images in Tokorozawa. Unlike the hidden principal image, the Ura Kannon can be seen by ordinary visitors, combining the quality of an important old sculpture with reliable accessibility.
Jurinji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongo Rikishi Guardian Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
埼玉県秩父郡小鹿野町小鹿野1823
Visiting Status Open to general worship (enshrined in the Niomon Gate and viewable during a visit to the temple grounds)
PowerDignitySolemnity
Jurinji Temple’s wooden Kongo Rikishi guardians stand in the Niomon Gate as a pair measuring 187.7 cm for Agyo and 187.0 cm for Ungyo. Designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Saitama Prefecture, both statues date to the Muromachi period and are made of cypress in joined-block construction, with carved eyes and polychrome decoration. They still stand on either side of the gate in their complementary open- and closed-mouth forms and can be seen by visitors entering the temple grounds. At nearly 1.9 meters tall, the pair offers an accessible encounter with substantial historic guardian sculpture rather than a hidden image.
Komasan Shoden-in Shorakuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Fudo Myo-o with Two Attendants (Kongara Doji and Seitaka Doji) Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
埼玉県日高市新堀990-1
Visiting Status Usually open for worship (8:00–17:00, last admission 16:30; admission fee required)
DignityPowerSolemnity
The principal image of Shoden-in's Main Hall is a wooden seated Fudo Myo-o designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Hidaka City. Inscriptions found inside the statue record that it was made in 1580 by the Kamakura Buddhist sculptor Okura Hogen. The Fudo image is 38 cm tall and contains a small standing Fudo traditionally attributed to Kobo Daishi. In 1624, attendant statues of Kongara Doji, 45 cm tall, and Seitaka Doji, 45.6 cm tall, were newly made to form the present triad. The temple's official site lists the Main Hall image as its principal deity and gives visiting hours of 8:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. The date of each figure is documented, and the sculptor of the central Fudo is known; the triad remains accessible during regular visiting hours.
Choeiji Temple
Buddhist Image Large Wooden Enma Daio Statue with Red Lacquer Category Other
埼玉県所沢市牛沼52
Visiting Status Viewable during a visit to the temple grounds (visible through the window of the Enma Hall)
DignityPowerMystery
Choeiji Temple’s Enma Hall houses a large wooden statue of Enma Daio finished in red lacquer and measuring about 290 cm in height. Tokorozawa City and the local tourism association describe it as the largest wooden Enma statue in the Kanto region. The statue was formerly kept at the now-defunct Gonjoji Temple in Ushinuma Yanagihara and is said to have been moved to its present location in the early Meiji period. It remains enshrined in the Enma Hall today and can be viewed through the hall window. At nearly three meters high, it is one of Tokorozawa’s most distinctive destinations for encountering Buddhist sculpture in person.
Dairinzan Untoin Tenryuji Temple (Nenogongen)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
埼玉県飯能市南461
Visiting Status Open for regular worship (9:00–17:00; until 16:00 in winter; viewable from the outer sanctuary of the Main Hall)
PowerDignityDepth
The wooden standing Fudo Myo-o on the left-side altar of the Main Hall at Nenogongen Tenryuji is a Tangible Cultural Property of Hanno City. Carved from a single block of wood, it stands 101.7 cm high. Centuries of incense smoke from goma rituals have darkened its surface, making its wrathful expression appear even more severe, while its rounded face, full-bodied proportions and simple drapery preserve features of the Fujiwara style. It is considered a Heian-period image dating to no later than around the 12th century; the arms and lower legs are later replacements. The statue remains in the Main Hall of Nenogongen, famous for prayers for healthy legs and hips, and can be viewed from the outer sanctuary during normal visiting hours.
Muryozan Joko-in Daikyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon by Enku Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
埼玉県八潮市大字八條3877
Visiting Status Hidden image (in 2026 it was unveiled April 10–20, the first opening in six years; check for future dates)
MysteryPowerDepth
The wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon in Daikyoji Temple's Kannon Hall is a monumental work by Enku, thought to have been carved around 1668, and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. At 243 cm high, it is the largest Enku Buddha image in Saitama and one of the exceptionally large surviving works by the sculptor nationwide. Eleven faces are carved on the head, while four large hands at the front and 24 additional arms symbolize the deity's thousand arms. Its construction is equally unusual: the lower body reuses halved zelkova mortars stacked vertically, while the upper body is made from cedar. The statue is a hidden image; in 2026 it was unveiled from April 10 to 20 for the first time in six years. Its scale and Enku's distinctive carving make it one of Saitama's most remarkable Buddhist images.
Hasedera Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県由利本荘市赤田字上田表115
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Great Buddha Hall is freely accessible)
SolemnityGentlenessDignity
Enshrined in the Great Buddha Hall of Hasedera Temple, this standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu is popularly known as the Akata Daibutsu. Zezan Taikaku vowed in 1784 to create the image, inspired by the Hasedera temples of Nara and Kamakura, and the first statue was completed in 1786. It was destroyed by fire in 1888; the present image was reconstructed in 1892 and consecrated in 1896. The 7.878 m wooden Kannon, covered in gold leaf, is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Yurihonjo City. The Great Buddha Hall is also a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan and is freely open for worship.
Ontokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai, Kannon Bosatsu and Seishi Bosatsu Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
秋田県鹿角市花輪字上花輪11
Visiting Status Viewing available (advance confirmation recommended for Buddhist image viewing)
GentlenessDepthStillness
Ontokuji Temple preserves a wooden Amida Triad consisting of Amida Nyorai flanked by Kannon Bosatsu and Seishi Bosatsu. All three figures are made of joined cypress wood, lacquered and gilded, and depict the descent from the Pure Land to welcome devotees. They are thought to have been made by a Kyoto-area Buddhist sculptor in the late Kamakura period. Temple tradition holds that a retainer brought the triad back from Sanuki Province to pray for a warrior from Kazuno who died in the Genpei War. The central image is also known as the Kurobotoke, or Black Buddha, and has long been associated with healing: worshippers touch the same part of the image as the afflicted area of their own body while praying for recovery. The triad is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Akita Prefecture.
Zenryoji Temple
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
秋田県秋田市八橋本町6丁目5-30
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (enshrined inside the Main Hall)
SolemnityRefinementStillness
This seated bronze Amida Nyorai is enshrined in the Main Hall of Zenryoji Temple. The head, torso, knees, and hands were cast separately and joined in a method resembling the joined-block technique used for wooden sculpture. Although the image inherits stylistic features of the late Heian period, details of the drapery and body suggest a Kamakura-period date. Large bronze images of this type are rare, as most gilt-bronze Buddhist statues of the period were much smaller. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Dairyuji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
秋田県男鹿市船川港船川字鳥屋場34
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (daily 9:00–16:00 / suggested donation ¥500)
StillnessPeacefulnessSolemnity
Shakyamuni Buddha is enshrined as the principal image of Dairyuji, a Soto Zen temple on a hill overlooking the Sea of Japan on the Oga Peninsula. The temple is also known for its garden and temple buildings, and numerous Buddhist images, including statues of Kannon Bosatsu, are enshrined throughout the grounds. Visitors can also ring the large temple bell in the Ryuo-den, a tahoto-style tower that also serves as a bell tower. Located about a seven-minute walk from Oga Station, the temple welcomes general visitors throughout the year.
Yudonosan Ryusenji Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県能代市清助町7-23
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (reserve by phone or direct message before viewing)
PowerMysteryDepth
Yudonosan Ryusenji Temple preserves a wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu attributed to an early phase in the career of Enku, the itinerant monk and sculptor of the Edo period. The bold, visible chisel marks and simple yet powerful form are characteristic of Enku's Buddhist sculpture. The statue is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Akita Prefecture. Ryusenji also preserves other important Buddhist images, including a gilt-bronze standing Yakushi Nyorai from the Kamakura period.
Seiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Thousand-Armed Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県鹿角市十和田毛馬内字城の下69
Visiting Status Secret image (unveiled annually on May 17)
GentlenessSolemnityMystery
This wooden Thousand-Armed Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined in the Kannon Hall of Seiganji Temple. According to tradition, a woman named Katsume, who worked in ore dressing at the Shirane gold mine, enshrined a Thousand-Armed Kannon together with fellow believers. The joined-wood image is lacquered and gilded; apart from the two hands joined in prayer, the many hands hold ritual attributes, and a circular halo rises behind the figure. Carefully made in the early Edo period, the statue measures 106 cm in height. It was moved to its present location together with the Kannon Hall in 1725 and is now kept as a secret image, unveiled each year on May 17. It is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Kazuno City.
Fudenji Temple
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
秋田県秋田市大町4丁目5-37
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required
PowerDignityTense Presence
This wooden seated Fudo Myoo is worshipped as the principal image of Fudenji Temple and is popularly known as the Yakuyoke Fudo, or Fudo for protection from misfortune. The statue is said to preserve stylistic features associated with the Kamakura-period master sculptor Unkei. Fudenji, a temple of the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism, was founded in the early 1600s by the monk Yugen, who had also served as a warrior of the Satake clan, with Akita domain lord Satake Yoshinobu regarded as its founder-patron. The statue is designated a Cultural Property of Akita City and remains the principal image of Temple No. 7 of the Tohoku 36 Fudo pilgrimage.
Myokakuji Temple
Buddhist Image Enmei Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県秋田市旭北寺町4-45
Visiting Status Regular worship available (grounds open daily from 5:00)
WarmthPeacefulnessStillness
A large Enmei Jizo Bosatsu stands in the grounds of Myokakuji Temple and is also known as the Myokakuji Daibutsu. It is introduced as one of the Three Great Buddhas of Akita Prefecture, together with the Kamasawa Daibutsu in Kitaakita and the Akata Daibutsu in Yurihonjo. The temple is located in Akita City's central temple district, and its grounds are open to worshippers year-round. An annual grand service is held before the Enmei Jizo, which remains an object of local devotion.
Shoboin Temple
Buddhist Image Joroku Enmei Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県北秋田市鎌沢字家ノ南45
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (temple gate normally open)
GentlenessSolemnityDignity
Enshrined in the Great Buddha Hall of Shoboin Temple, this Joroku Enmei Jizo Bosatsu is popularly known as the Kamasawa Daibutsu. The 4.82 m wooden joined-block figure sits in a half-lotus posture and is counted among Akita Prefecture's Three Great Buddhas. An inscription inside the face records that it was created in 1745 by Kuranojo. It has also been called the Sweating Jizo and Bullet-Protecting Jizo and has long been worshipped for protection from epidemics, longevity and good fortune, family prosperity, safe childbirth, and child-rearing. It is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Kitaakita City and can be freely worshipped in the hall.
Unshoji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
秋田県男鹿市北浦北浦字北浦57
Visiting Status Viewing available (normally 9:00–17:00)
StillnessPurityPeacefulness
Shakyamuni Buddha is enshrined as the principal image of the Main Hall at Unshoji Temple in northern Oga Peninsula. The Main Hall dates to the Edo period, and an inscription on the image records that it was made by a Buddhist sculptor in Osaka. The image is preserved as a seated Shakyamuni in a preaching pose. Unshoji is widely known for the blue hydrangeas that fill its grounds and attract many visitors each year. In addition to the principal image, statues of Ryuzu Kannon Bosatsu, Monju Bosatsu, Jizo, and other Buddhist figures are found throughout the grounds, making the temple a place where visitors can combine flower viewing with Buddhist worship.
Akagami Shrine Goshado
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
秋田県男鹿市船川港本山門前字祓川35
Visiting Status Normally not on view (opened to the public once a year; confirm the date in advance)
GentlenessMysteryDepth
This wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu by the early Edo-period monk Enku is enshrined in the Kyakujin Gongen Hall of Akagami Shrine Goshado. Carved from a single linden plank, it stands 171 cm high. Bold chisel marks combine with a gentle expression and balanced proportions, showing features of Enku's early style. The well-preserved statue is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Akita Prefecture and is important for tracing Enku's activity in Akita and the development of his style. Goshado lies beyond the legendary 999 stone steps said to have been built by demons in a single night and is closely associated with Oga's Namahage traditions.