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Horado Enku Memorial Museum
Buddhist Image Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu by Enku (central figure of the three statues carved from one log) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岐阜県関市洞戸高賀1212
Visiting Status Regularly open (9:00–16:30; closed Mondays except public holidays, the day after public holidays except weekends/public holidays, and Dec. 29–Jan. 3)
GentlenessMysteryStillness
Displayed at the Horado Enku Memorial Museum, this standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu was carved by Enku. It is the central figure of a celebrated set of three statues—together with Zenzai Doji and Zennyo Ryuo—carved by splitting a single conifer log into three sections. Both Seki City and Gifu Prefecture’s official tourism site introduce the group as one of Enku’s greatest masterpieces. When placed together, the three figures reveal that they came from the same original log. The museum displays around 30 Enku statues, including this group, at close range. It is normally open from 9:00 to 16:30 and can be visited without a reservation except on designated closed days.
Kinshozan Myojorinji Temple (Akasaka Kokuzo)
Buddhist Image Kokuzo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岐阜県大垣市赤坂町4610
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled annually during Hatsukokuzo from the evening of January 12 through January 13)
MysterySolemnityWarmth
The principal image of Myojorinji Temple is Kokuzo Bosatsu (Akashagarbha), enshrined deep in a rock grotto within the main hall. Ogaki City introduces the temple as home to the 'Evening Kokuzo,' one of Japan's three celebrated Kokuzo sites, and the main hall is also called the Kokuzo Hall because the bodhisattva is enshrined there. Tradition holds that En no Gyoja founded the temple and installed the principal image. It is normally hidden from view and unveiled each year during the Hatsukokuzo observance from the evening of January 12 through January 13, when many worshippers visit.
Shinchoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県岐阜市三輪778-1
Visiting Status Unveiled on the 8th of every month (9:00–16:00)
NobilitySolemnityStillness
The principal image of Shinchoji Temple is a wooden seated Shaka Nyorai dating to the late Heian, or Fujiwara, period and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The figure itself is 2.82 m high and reaches 367.8 cm including the pedestal. It is assembled from multiple pieces of katsura wood, hollowed inside and finished with a thick lacquer coating. The right hand forms the gesture of reassurance while the left rests on the knee, and the Buddha sits on a four-tiered octagonal lotus pedestal before a double circular halo. Gifu Prefecture highlights its flowing drapery, elegant face and balanced proportions. According to the Shinchoji Cultural Property Preservation Association, the image is unveiled on the 8th of every month from 9:00 to 16:00.
Dainichizan Nichiryubuji Temple (Takazawa Kannon)
Buddhist Image Ryomen Sukuna Statue Category Other
岐阜県関市下之保4585
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled annually on the third Sunday of November)
PowerMysteryTense Presence
A statue of Ryomen Sukuna is enshrined in the main hall of Nichiryubuji Temple. According to temple tradition, during the reign of Emperor Nintoku in the first half of the 5th century, Ryomen Sukuna, a powerful figure from Hida, drove away a divine dragon on the peak of Takazawa and founded a temple there. Official tourism sources from Gifu Prefecture and Seki City introduce Nichiryubuji as the oldest temple in Gifu Prefecture and state that the main hall houses the statue of Ryomen Sukuna, regarded in temple tradition as its founder. The statue is normally closed to the public and is unveiled once a year on the third Sunday of November.
Myounji Temple
Buddhist Image One Thousand Shaka Nyorai Statues Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県加茂郡川辺町中川辺1525-1
Visiting Status Unveiled once a year (annually on August 28, around 17:00–20:00)
SolemnityWarmthDepth
The One Thousand Shaka Nyorai Statues are enshrined in the Sentai Shaka Hall at Myounji Temple. During the Edo period, at the initiative of the local lord, the Oshima family, retainers and local residents each donated a Buddha image. As the total exceeded one thousand, the group became known as the One Thousand Shaka Nyorai Statues. The sight of more than a thousand images lined up inside the hall is striking, and Gifu Prefecture’s official tourism site introduces them as a group that can be viewed only once a year. They are normally closed to the public and are unveiled annually on August 28, with viewing available from around 17:00 to 20:00.
Enkyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongo Rikishi (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
岐阜県本巣郡北方町北方1345-1
Visiting Status Regularly viewable (inside the gate, through protective mesh; no reservation or admission fee required)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi guardian statues, Agyo and Ungyo, stands in the Romon gate of Enkyoji Temple. According to Kitagata Town, they date to 1296 in the Kamakura period, stand 218 cm high, and are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The imposing pair guards the temple’s principal image and can be viewed through protective mesh from either side of the passage. The gate itself, also built in 1296, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and is one of the monuments that symbolize Enkyoji, known as the “Shosoin of Mino.” Entry to the grounds and viewing of the gate are free and do not require a reservation, so the statues can normally be seen during a temple visit.
Kinginzan Mino Kokubunji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県大垣市青野町419
Visiting Status Regularly viewable
PowerPeacefulnessDepth
The principal image of Mino Kokubunji Temple is a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai enshrined in the main hall. Measuring about 304.8 cm high, it is a monumental single-block wooden sculpture designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Temple tradition attributes the carving to Gyoki in the Nara period from a great zelkova tree, while the temple’s official description dates it stylistically to the late Heian period, around the 11th century. The figure has a massive, stable seated form, with the right hand forming the gesture of reassurance and the left holding a medicine jar. Its half-closed eyes, broad nose, full lips and compassionate expression are distinctive. Visitors can still worship the principal image in the main hall today.
Beppu Kannondo
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu (Beppu Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岐阜県瑞穂市別府491
Visiting Status Regularly viewable (first Sunday and 18th of each month, 8:00–11:00, except the first Sunday in January and February; Feb 3 8:00–17:00; Aug 10 8:00–19:00; Dec 31 23:00–01:00 next day)
GentlenessRefinementStillness
The wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu known as “Beppu Kannon” is enshrined at Beppu Kannondo. According to Mizuho City, the statue is 182.4 cm high with a 9.0 cm pedestal, carved from a single piece of hinoki cypress with carved eyes, and is a Gifu Prefectural Important Cultural Property thought to date from the late Heian period. Its gently rounded drapery, soft modeling and well-balanced, serene figure are distinctive. Tradition holds that it was made by the same hand and to the same scale as the Kannon image at Tanigumisan Kegonji, the two being revered as “brother sacred images.” It is not continuously open to view, but is unveiled on the first Sunday and the 18th of each month (except the first Sunday in January and February), as well as for Setsubun on February 3, the Sennichi pilgrimage on August 10, and the year-end service on December 31.
Kamitakara Furusato History Museum
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu (by Enku) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岐阜県高山市上宝町本郷582-12
Visiting Status Regularly open (9:00–16:00; closed Mondays and Dec 29–Jan 3; admission free)
GentlenessWarmthStillness
An Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu carved by Enku and displayed at the Kamitakara Furusato History Museum. Enku stayed in the Kamitakara area around 1690 and left many carvings there; the museum displays 36 Enku sculptures, including this Takayama City-designated cultural property. It was also featured as a representative image of the museum in Takayama’s official 2026 Enku pilgrimage program. Visitors can see the collection up close during normal opening hours, with free admission.
Taiheizan Ankokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai / Monju Bosatsu / Fugen Bosatsu Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県高山市国府町西門前474
Visiting Status Viewable (admission ¥800 with an approximately 30-minute explanation; advance contact by the previous day is required to enter the sutra repository)
NobilitySolemnityStillness
The principal image of Ankokuji Temple is a wooden Shakyamuni Buddha flanked by Monju Bosatsu and Fugen Bosatsu. According to Gifu Prefecture, the triad dates to Enbun 2 in the Nanboku-cho period. The central Shakyamuni measures 69.3 cm high and each attendant 33.0 cm. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Gifu Prefecture, the group is described by the prefecture as one of the finest Buddhist sculptural masterpieces in Gifu, remarkably preserved for roughly six centuries. Takayama’s official tourism site offers paid viewing with an approximately 30-minute explanation. The temple grounds also contain Hida’s only National Treasure building, the medieval sutra repository.
Minami Furusato Museum (Enku Furusato Museum)
Buddhist Image Collection of Enku Buddhist Statues (about 90 works) Category Other
岐阜県郡上市美並町高砂1252-2
Visiting Status Regularly open (10:00–16:00, last admission 15:30; closed Mondays, or the following day when Monday is a public holiday; closed Dec 27–Jan 4)
WarmthGentlenessDepth
The Enku Furusato Museum within the Minami Furusato Museum in Gujo’s Minami district displays about 90 Buddhist statues by Enku spanning his early through late periods. Gujo City describes Minami as a place closely associated with Enku, where he is thought to have taken Buddhist vows and where many of his works remain. The museum allows visitors to see the development of his carving style across his lifetime in one place, making it a particularly worthwhile destination for those interested in Enku statues. The collection is normally open to the public from 10:00 to 16:00.
Gifu Zenkoji Temple (Zenkoji Anjoin)
Buddhist Image Seated Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県岐阜市伊奈波通1丁目8
Visiting Status Regularly viewable (9:00–17:00, open daily, free admission)
PeacefulnessRefinementStillness
A seated Shaka Nyorai is enshrined inside the main hall of Gifu Zenkoji Temple. The temple’s official guide states that the statue dates from the Heian period and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Gifu City. Gifu Zenkoji traces its origin to Oda Nobunaga’s transfer of the Zenkoji Nyorai to Gifu; in addition to the present principal Zenkoji Nyorai, this older Shaka image is also enshrined in the main hall. Gifu’s official tourism information lists visiting hours as 9:00 to 17:00, with no regular closing day and free admission, allowing ordinary visitors to worship the statue in the hall.
Kinpozan Shoboji Temple (Gifu Great Buddha)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県岐阜市大仏町8
Visiting Status Regularly viewable (9:00–17:00, open daily)
GentlenessRefinementPeacefulness
A wooden seated Amida Nyorai is enshrined in the Great Buddha Hall of Kinpozan Shoboji Temple as the omaedachi, or substitute image placed before the famous Gifu Great Buddha. According to Gifu Prefecture, the statue is carved from a single piece of hinoki cypress with carved eyes, stands 55 cm high, and is a Prefectural Important Cultural Property thought to date from the late Heian period. Entirely gilded, it forms the Jobon-josho mudra and sits on a double lotus pedestal. Its slightly elongated, gentle face and flowing drapery exemplify the elegant Japanese style of Amida sculpture. Gifu City also identifies it as the image placed before the Great Buddha, and it can be seen during normal visits to the hall.
Ryokaisan Yokokuraji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Dainichi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県揖斐郡揖斐川町谷汲神原1160
Visiting Status Seasonal viewing (10:00–16:00; Ruriden is closed December–March and on rainy days)
SolemnityNobilityStillness
This wooden seated Dainichi Nyorai is displayed in Yokokuraji Temple’s Ruriden Treasure Hall. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan and bears an inscription dated March 1284 (Koan 7). Yokokuraji, known as the “Shosoin of Mino” for its rich collection of Buddhist sculpture, paintings and texts, displays this image alongside other nationally designated Important Cultural Properties including Jinja Daisho, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Divine Generals and Kongo Rikishi. Ruriden is open from 10:00 to 16:00, allowing visitors to view this image together with the temple’s group of nationally designated Important Cultural Property Buddhist statues. It is closed from December through March and on rainy days.
Gero Onsen Gassho Village
Buddhist Image Collection of Enku Buddhist Statues (about 30 works) Category Other
岐阜県下呂市森2369
Visiting Status Regularly open (8:30–17:00, open year-round; some facilities may close temporarily)
WarmthGentlenessDepth
The Enku Gallery inside Gero Onsen Gassho Village displays about 30 Buddhist sculptures carved by the ascetic monk Enku. Gero City introduces the gallery as a place to encounter the rustic, boldly hewn character of Enku's work at close range, and the village was also selected as a venue for the 2026 Hida Enku Buddhist Statue Pilgrimage. Gassho Village is normally open from 8:30 to 17:00 throughout the year, making this an accessible place to compare many Enku figures together and experience the breadth of his devotional sculpture.
Kuguno History and Folklore Museum
Buddhist Image Seated Yakushi Nyorai (by Enku) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県高山市久々野町久々野2270
Visiting Status Regularly open (8:30–17:00; closed Mondays, or the following day when Monday is a holiday; closed Dec 1–Mar 31; admission free)
WarmthGentlenessStillness
A seated Yakushi Nyorai carved by Enku and displayed at the Kuguno History and Folklore Museum. The museum preserves and exhibits Enku Buddhist images handed down at shrines and other sites in the Kuguno area, with this Yakushi figure introduced as one of the representative works. The museum was also included in Takayama’s official 2026 Enku Buddhist Statue Pilgrimage, where Yakushi Nyorai was presented as its representative image. Although primarily a local history museum, it offers a valuable opportunity to see an Enku image with strong local provenance. It is normally open from 8:30 to 17:00 with free admission, and closes for winter from Dec 1 to Mar 31.
Hida Takayama Museum of History and Art
Buddhist Image Pair of Kongo-shin Guardian Deities (by Enku) Category Tenbu (Deva)
岐阜県高山市上一之町75
Visiting Status Regularly on view (9:00–19:00; generally open daily, subject to temporary closures; admission free)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of Kongo-shin guardian deities carved by Enku and currently displayed at the Hida Takayama Museum of History and Art. Takayama City identifies them as 17th-century wooden sculptures, each about 220 cm tall, designated as a Cultural Property of Gifu Prefecture. The city describes them as powerful works embodying the fierce energy of Buddhist guardian deities, and notes that they are among Enku’s outstanding works and have often appeared in Enku exhibitions. Exhibition Room 9 introduces Enku statues and local faith traditions. The museum is open 9:00–19:00, generally without regular closing days, and admission is free.
Seki Zenkoji Temple (Myoyuzan Sokyuji)
Buddhist Image Joroku Amida Triad Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岐阜県関市西日吉町35
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (9:00–16:30; no regular closing days, subject to changes for ceremonies and temple events)
SolemnityDignityPeacefulness
The Great Buddha Hall of Seki Zenkoji enshrines a large Joroku-scale Amida Triad. According to the temple's official history, the images were brought from Senzoji Temple in Shimosa in 1753 and formally enshrined in the present hall in 1759. Gifu's official tourism site specifically notes that visitors can see the historic triad at close range. With Amida Nyorai at the center and Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas as attendants, the group presents the Pure Land vision of welcoming the faithful. Viewing hours are 9:00–16:30, with no regular closing day, though access may change for ceremonies or temple events.
Nyoizan Ganjoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongo Rikishi (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
岐阜県岐阜市大洞1-21-2
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (9:00–17:00; open daily; admission free)
PowerTense PresenceDignity
A pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi guardian statues stands at the gate of Ganjoji Temple in Gifu City. Designated Important Cultural Properties of Gifu Prefecture, they are hinoki-cypress joined-wood sculptures with carved eyes and are thought to date from the late Kamakura period. Both Agyo and Ungyo display strongly modeled musculature, fierce expressions and a vivid sense of force. Although the temple preserves several other important Buddhist images, this entry focuses on the Nio statues because visitors can reliably see the actual works at the temple gate during ordinary visits. The temple is open 9:00–17:00, with free admission and no regular closing days.
Kiyomizudera Temple (Tomika)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岐阜県加茂郡富加町加治田985
Visiting Status Annual unveiling (September 9, 10:00–11:00)
NobilityRefinementMystery
The principal image of Kiyomizudera Temple in Kajita, Tomika is a rare seated Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Carved from a single piece of hinoki cypress with carved eyes, it dates to the Fujiwara phase of the Heian period. The statue is distinguished by a slender torso, broad stable knees, softly flowing drapery and a refined, gentle face. It was originally gilded, but centuries of incense smoke have darkened the surface, giving it a deeply mysterious presence. The image is normally closed to the public, but Tomika Town officially states that it is unveiled every year on September 9 from 10:00 to 11:00, providing a clearly defined opportunity to see the original statue.