Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Kichijozan Fukoji Temple
Buddhist Image Stone Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
新潟県南魚沼市浦佐2495番地甲
Visiting Status Open for worship from the temple grounds
PowerDignitySolemnity
A monumental stone Fudo Myoo stands beyond the corridor in the grounds of Fukoji. According to the temple, tradition holds that it is the largest stone Buddhist image in Japan and that it was carved in the early Meiji period by a stonemason named Tomihachiro from the former Muikamachi area. The large wrathful figure has a striking presence and can be worshipped freely along the normal route through the temple grounds. Nearby is a large hollowed stone basin known as the ugai-bachi. Together with the images in Bishamondo and the treasure hall, it is one of Fukoji’s major works of Buddhist sculpture.
Shiawase Jizo
Buddhist Image Shiawase Jizo (Standing Jizo Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
新潟県佐渡市宿根木56-2
Visiting Status Open for worship from the grounds year-round
GentlenessWarmthSolemnity
Shiawase Jizo is a monumental standing Jizo Bosatsu at the foot of Mount Togami near Shukunegi on Sado Island. Including its pedestal, the statue rises 17.5 m. The project was initiated in 1982 and completed in 1983. The white figure is visible from afar and combines a gentle, compassionate expression with an imposing scale. Beyond the temple gate are a Jizo hall and other Jizo images. Official tourism information presents it as an outdoor site that can be visited year-round, about an eight-minute drive from Ogi Port. Its monumental presence and the strong local tradition of Jizo devotion make it a distinctive Buddhist destination around Shukunegi.
Iwayasan Cave and Cliff-Carved Buddhas
Buddhist Image Eight Cliff-Carved Buddhas and Shikoku Eighty-Eight Stone Buddha Group Category Other
新潟県佐渡市宿根木188
Visiting Status Open for worship year-round (outdoor; free)
MysteryDepthStillness
This cave sanctuary lies halfway up Mount Iwaya behind the village of Shukunegi. Eight Buddhist figures are carved in half relief directly into the rock inside the cave, while the grounds contain 88 stone images modeled on the Shikoku Eighty-Eight Temple pilgrimage. Long revered locally as “Iwaya-san,” the site remains a place of living faith, including the practice of nemari henro, in which worshippers sit inside the cave hall while chanting hymns and nenbutsu. Early Jomon pottery was also excavated here, and the cave is designated a historic site of Niigata Prefecture. Visitors can reach it by a footpath and worship freely; admission is free. The combination of cave, cliff carvings and stone images makes it one of Sado’s most distinctive Buddhist sacred sites.
Nou Hakusan Shrine
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
新潟県糸魚川市能生7239
Visiting Status Advance confirmation recommended (Treasure Hall is open to the public and may be visited)
NobilityRefinementStillness
The Treasure Hall of Nou Hakusan Shrine houses a wooden standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu. The shrine's official information dates the statue to the late Heian period, and it was designated a Important Cultural Property in 1906. Historically worshipped as Hakusan Gongen, the shrine preserves a strong legacy of shinbutsu-shugo, with numerous Buddhist images and related cultural properties surviving today. The Treasure Hall holds 161 cultural objects, including the Sho Kannon Bosatsu, and is open to the public for viewing. The statue makes this a particularly valuable destination for experiencing the Buddhist heritage preserved within a former syncretic shrine tradition.
Echigo Nanaura Kannon
Buddhist Image Echigo Nanaura Kannon (Standing Kannon Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
新潟県新潟市西蒲区間瀬
Visiting Status Open for worship from the grounds at all times
GentlenessSolemnityStillness
Echigo Nanaura Kannon is an 8-meter bronze standing Kannon Bosatsu overlooking the Sea of Japan along the Echigo Nanaura Seaside Line. The figure appears to watch over both calm seas and the rough winter coast and is revered for prayers connected with maritime rescue, repose for those lost at sea, household safety, traffic safety, business prosperity, memorial rites for fish, and mizuko memorials. As a large outdoor image it can be worshipped freely, and an annual festival is held in mid-June. Its striking union with the coastal landscape makes it a distinctive symbol of Buddhist faith along the Sea of Japan.
Itayama Fudoson
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o and More Than Two Hundred Stone Buddhist Images Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
新潟県上越市大島区板山
Visiting Status Open for worship from the grounds (check snow conditions in winter)
MysteryTense PresenceStillness
Itayama Fudoson is a cave sanctuary in the Itayama district of Joetsu. A Fudo Myoo is enshrined inside a crescent-shaped water-eroded cave about 30 m wide, 13 m deep and about 1.8 m high on average, surrounded by more than two hundred stone Buddhist images. Local tradition says there are so many statues that the number never seems to match when counted. A Fudo waterfall flows beside the cave, and the site is also said to have been used by mountain ascetics for religious practice. Designated a Cultural Property of Joetsu City, it remains a place of local devotion. The outdoor cave can be visited for worship, though winter snow conditions require caution.
Midama Fudoson (Shohoin)
Buddhist Image Five Great Wisdom Kings and Kongo Rikishi Statues Category Other
新潟県中魚沼郡津南町秋成9761
Visiting Status Open year-round (regular season Apr–Dec / partial winter closure; no regular closing day; free)
PowerDignityMystery
Midama Fudoson is a Tendai Buddhist sanctuary at the entrance to Akiyamago in the village of Midama. The Fudo Hall at the top of the stone steps enshrines the Five Great Wisdom Kings, said to have been brought from Mount Hiei during the Sengoku period, and the interior is arranged so that general visitors may enter and worship freely. The Nio Gate is guarded by muscular Kongo Rikishi statues about 2.5 m tall. The grounds also contain Rokujizo, Kannon images and a Daikokudo Hall, while clear water cascades beside the stone steps. The Tsunan Tourism Association lists the site as open year-round, free and without a regular closing day, with some facilities closed in winter. The combination of Buddhist images, waterfalls and cedar trees remains a powerful setting for living devotion.
Asahi Kannon-do (Fudanji Temple)
Buddhist Image White Seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
新潟県新潟市秋葉区朝日2560
Visiting Status Open for worship year-round
GentlenessPeacefulnessStillness
Asahi Kannon-do in the grounds of Fudanji enshrines a white seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu measuring 1 shaku 3 sun in height. It is revered as the principal image of the 30th temple on the Echigo Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage and the 9th temple on the Kanbara Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. Official Niigata tourism information lists the site as open year-round, about a 15-minute walk from JR Furutsu Station, with parking available. As an active pilgrimage temple that is easy for general visitors to reach, it offers a clear opportunity to worship the Eleven-Faced Kannon itself.
Shinzenji Temple
Buddhist Image Stone Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
新潟県佐渡市大久保90
Visiting Status Open for outdoor worship year-round (free)
MysteryPowerStillness
A simple stone Fudo Myoo is enshrined on the rock wall beside Nabekura Falls behind Shinzenji. The temple is traditionally said to have been founded by the exiled monk Mongaku Shonin, who stayed in this area for about three years and nine months from 1199 to 1202 and is said to have performed severe ascetic practice beneath the falls. Tradition also attributes the carving of the Fudo image to Mongaku, while traces of Sanskrit characters can be seen around the waterfall basin. Official tourism information lists the site as free to visit with parking available. The combination of waterfall asceticism and a stone Fudo image makes this a distinctive sacred site in Sado's tradition of mountain asceticism.
Shinpukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) by Mokujiki Shonin Category Tenbu (Deva)
新潟県長岡市小国町小国沢2421
Visiting Status Gate Kongo Rikishi statues are viewable from the temple grounds (free) / advance reservation required for indoor viewing; closed in winter
PowerDignityWarmth
At the gate of Shinpukuji stand a pair of Kongo Rikishi statues carved by Mokujiki Shonin in 1804, when he was 87. Both figures are about 2.42 m tall; Agyo weighs about 525 kg and Ungyo about 375 kg. Tradition says they were carved from a single zelkova tree from Suwai Hakusan Shrine, while inscriptions on their backs record completion dates of April 21 and May 2. Monumental in mass yet marked by the warm, humorous expressions characteristic of Mokujiki's work, they were designated Cultural Properties of Nagaoka City in 1983. A Tachiki Kannon (Kannon carved from a standing tree) is also preserved in the Kannon Hall behind the main hall, and a Konpira Daigongen in the main hall. The gate statues can be viewed from the temple grounds; advance reservation is required for indoor Mokujiki viewing, which is closed in winter.
Hanjozan Tenshoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
新潟県南魚沼市思川39
Visiting Status Advance contact required (Kannon Hall / not viewable during the snowy season)
RefinementPeacefulnessStillness
This is the principal image of the Kannon Hall, which stands on elevated ground within Tenshoji Temple. Carved from a single piece of katsura wood, the statue is attributed to the early Kamakura period based on its slightly elongated face, gentle features and softly modeled form. It is flanked by wooden standing statues of Jikokuten and Tamonten, also thought to date from the early Kamakura period; all three are designated Cultural Properties of Niigata Prefecture. The two guardian deities are shown in armored wrathful form with carefully carved details, creating a striking contrast with the calm Kannon. Advance contact is required to view the Kannon Hall, and it cannot be viewed during the snowy season.
Hojozan Zuishoan Temple
Buddhist Image Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) by Ishikawa Uncho Category Tenbu (Deva)
新潟県南魚沼郡湯沢町大字土樽4595
Visiting Status Free viewing / not viewable in winter due to snow enclosure
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of Kongo Rikishi statues by the celebrated late-Edo sculptor Ishikawa Uncho stands in the Romon Gate of Hojozan Zuishoan. Agyo is 173.5 cm tall and Ungyo 183.0 cm; they are thought to have been made in the Ansei era or later, a few years after the gate was rebuilt in 1847. During repairs to the gate in 1988, an inscription reading “Sanjo carver Ishikawa Takumi Uncho” was confirmed on the back of a pedestal, and the pair is designated a Cultural Property of Yuzawa Town. Their powerful gazes, large limbs, and long toes pinning down demons create a striking presence. The vivid red, blue, green, and gold coloring dates from a 1929 restoration. Viewing is free and unrestricted except in winter, when the gate is enclosed for protection from snow and the statues cannot be seen.
Soto Zen Sekijosan Saifukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) by Ishikawa Uncho Category Tenbu (Deva)
新潟県魚沼市大浦174
Visiting Status Normally open for paid viewing / reservation required on weekdays from Dec–Mar
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of Kongo Rikishi statues by the celebrated late-Edo sculptor Ishikawa Uncho stands on either side of the stairs inside Saifukuji's Kaizando Hall. Both Agyo and Ungyo are more than two meters tall and carved from single blocks of zelkova. Originally installed at the temple gate, they have since been moved into the Kaizando. The Agyo figure on the right holds a vajra in its mouth, while both figures confront visitors with massive bodies and fierce expressions. Their eyes are said originally to have contained glass, which local tradition says was damaged by children when the lower floor of the hall served as a temple school. Set at the entrance to the richly decorated “Echigo Nikko Kaizando,” the pair has a powerful presence as Buddhist statuary in its own right. The hall is normally open for paid viewing; reservations are required on weekdays from December through March.
Otsujizan Kezoin Temple
Buddhist Image Twelve Divine Generals by Mokujiki Shonin Category Tenbu (Deva)
新潟県柏崎市椎谷772
Visiting Status Advance contact required
WarmthGentlenessDepth
Kezoin Temple now houses a set of twelve Divine Generals carved by Mokujiki Shonin and owned by Saikoji Temple. Created in 1805, when Mokujiki was 88, the group is regarded as one of the representative works of his late period and depicts the twelve guardians of Yakushi Nyorai in his distinctive style. The statues were discovered in 1929 in the roof space above the ceiling of Saikoji's main hall during roof repairs and were later designated Cultural Properties of Kashiwazaki City. They remained at Saikoji until November 2019 and have since been transferred to Kezoin in Shiiya. This rare complete group preserves twelve late works by Mokujiki together in one place. Advance contact with Kezoin is required for viewing.
Nishiyama Nikkoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
新潟県東蒲原郡阿賀町払川字西山1973
Visiting Status Viewable at the temple gate (free) / vehicle access on the forest road unavailable in winter
PowerDignityStillness
A pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi statues, Agyo and Ungyo, stands in the gate of Nishiyama Nikkoji, a temple traditionally said to have been founded by Saicho during the Enryaku era. Dating to the Kamakura period, each figure was carved mainly from a single piece of katsura wood, with the back board, arms, and celestial scarves attached separately. Unusually, Agyo stands on the viewer's left and Ungyo on the right, the reverse of the usual arrangement. Their bodies and drapery are relatively restrained, while their faces retain an intense wrathful force. The pair is said to have been transferred to Nikkoji in 1878 from the former Tokoji, now Haguro Shrine, amid the anti-Buddhist movement of the early Meiji period. They are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Niigata Prefecture. Viewing at the gate is free; in winter vehicles cannot enter the Haraigawa forest road.
Dantokusan Ishina Seisuiji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Yakushi Nyorai and Standing Jizo Bosatsu by Mokujiki Shonin Category Other
新潟県佐渡市石名185
Visiting Status Advance confirmation recommended for viewing the Mokujiki statues
GentlenessWarmthDepth
Ishina Seisuiji on Sado's Sotokaifu coast preserves two statues by Mokujiki Shonin: a seated Yakushi Nyorai and a standing Jizo Bosatsu. Mokujiki traveled to Sado in 1781 at age 64, inspired by the ascetic monk Tansei Shonin, and carved these two images the following year, 1782, when he was 65. They belong to the early phase of his career as a Buddhist sculptor and offer a glimpse of the beginnings of the style that later developed into his distinctive rounded, smiling figures. The temple has close ties to sacred Mount Dantoku, a place associated with mokujiki ascetic practice, and tradition holds that Mokujiki also helped rebuild a Shaka Hall here. Niigata Prefecture's official tourism site specifically presents the two Mokujiki statues as an attraction. As no viewing hours are listed, visitors coming specifically to see the statues should confirm access in advance.
Younzan Choanji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
新潟県佐渡市久知河内152
Visiting Status Advance reservation required for Buddhist statue viewing
PeacefulnessNobilityRefinement
A wooden seated Amida Nyorai designated a Important Cultural Property is preserved in the treasure storehouse of Younzan Choanji Temple. About 87 cm tall, the figure is made of hinoki cypress in joined-block construction and finished with lacquer and gold leaf. It has spiral curls and a cranial protuberance, a crystal urna set into the forehead, and hands forming the Amida meditation mudra while seated cross-legged on a nine-tiered lotus pedestal. Its calm, well-proportioned face, shallow and graceful drapery, and joined-block construction indicate a date in the late Heian period. Tradition says that around 1479 the monk Myozo Ajari donated it to Choanji together with a Yakushi Nyorai image. Both Sado City's official cultural-property information and Niigata Prefecture's tourism site highlight the statue as one of Sado's notable ancient Buddhist images. It is kept in the storehouse, and current tourism information states that advance reservation is required for viewing.
Sado Kokubunji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
新潟県佐渡市国分寺113
Visiting Status Advance reservation required for Buddhist statue viewing
NobilityPowerDepth
A wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai designated a Important Cultural Property is preserved in the storehouse of Sado Kokubunji Temple. The statue is 1.36 m tall and is attributed to the early Heian period. The head and torso were carved from a single block, while the knees, wrists, and folded sections of the robes were attached separately. Its broad shoulders and chest, substantial knees, and strongly cut drapery preserve characteristic features of early-Heian sculpture, giving the figure a spacious, dignified presence. It was originally the principal image of the old Sado Kokubunji main hall. Tradition says it was carried to safety when the temple complex burned during conflicts in the Kyoroku era (1528–1531), later enshrined in the Rurido Hall built in 1666, and eventually transferred to the present storehouse. The image therefore also embodies the history of Sado Kokubunji's destruction and revival. Tourism information updated in March 2026 states that the grounds are freely accessible and statue viewing requires advance reservation.
Dainichido Hall
Buddhist Image Seated Dainichi Nyorai by Mokujiki Seigan Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
新潟県佐渡市新穂瓜生屋1393
Visiting Status Advance confirmation recommended for viewing inside the hall
DignitySolemnityDepth
Dainichido Hall, now serving as the worship hall of Ohirume Shrine, enshrines a monumental seated Dainichi Nyorai carved by Mokujiki Seigan of the Tansei ascetic lineage. Completed in 1666, the statue is made in joined-block construction and measures 308 cm tall and 147 cm across the shoulders. It wears a jeweled crown and forms the Hokkai meditation mudra with both hands. Its unusually large and distinctive nose, restrained mouth, and realistically rendered fingers create a powerful yet markedly individual presence. Tradition holds that Seigan carved the image to replace an earlier deteriorated Dainichi and that donations were gathered across Sado to complete the project. The hall preserves a vivid legacy of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, and the Dainichi image has long been revered by cattle keepers across the island as a protector of cattle. Niigata Prefecture and Sado's official tourism sites continue to highlight the statue as the hall's principal attraction. Since viewing hours inside the hall are not stated, visitors coming specifically to see the image should confirm access in advance.
Dairenji Temple
Buddhist Image Five Hundred Arhat Statues Category Other
新潟県佐渡市羽茂本郷2075-甲
Visiting Status Advance confirmation recommended for viewing inside the Five Hundred Arhats Hall
SolemnityWarmthDepth
Dairenji Temple, founded in 1421 as the family temple of the Honma lords of Hamochi, preserves a remarkable group of Arhat statues in its Five Hundred Arhats Hall. The hall was built in 1664, and the Five Hundred Arhats are said to have been carved by the Edo sculptor Matsuo Kanzaemon over seven years beginning that same year. Lacquer craftsmen from Noto are traditionally credited with gilding and other decorative work. Inside, the densely arranged figures display a wide range of individual expressions and poses, giving rise to the popular idea that visitors may find a face resembling their own. Sado's official tourism information highlights the group as one of the temple's principal attractions. As regular opening hours for the hall are not stated, visitors coming specifically to see the statues should confirm access with the temple in advance.