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Myokoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Tathagata and Two Attendant Bodhisattvas Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県一宮市大和町妙興寺2438
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Buddha Hall open Apr–Nov, 10:00–15:00, except Mondays; may be cancelled in rainy weather)
RefinementNobilitySolemnity
The principal image of Myokoji Temple’s Buddha Hall is a wooden triad of Shakyamuni Tathagata with two attendant Bodhisattvas. Consecrated in 1365 during the Nanbokucho period, the triad consists of Shakyamuni, Fugen and Monju and was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aichi Prefecture in 2023. The central Shakyamuni is 98.5 cm high, made of joined cypress wood with crystal eyes; Fugen rides a white elephant on the right and Monju a blue lion on the left. The works are attributed to sculptors of the In school, with both attendants made by Injun. The Buddha Hall is open from April through November, 10:00–15:00 except Mondays, with guides available; opening may be cancelled in rainy weather.
Daijuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Tathagata Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県岡崎市鴨田町字広元5-1
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Main Hall; temple viewing hours 9:00–16:00, reception until 15:30; open year-round)
SolemnityPeacefulnessDepth
The principal image of Daijuji Temple’s Main Hall is a wooden seated Amida Tathagata dating to the late Heian period. This half-jo-roku image is about 140 cm high, made of joined cypress wood with carved eyes and a lacquer-and-gold-leaf finish, and forms the raigo mudra. After the former principal image was destroyed in a fire in 1855, this statue was brought from Sennyuji Temple in Kyoto when the hall was rebuilt. It is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aichi Prefecture. Daijuji is known as the family temple of the Matsudaira and Tokugawa clans, and the image can still be worshipped in the Main Hall.
Kodenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Twelve Divine Generals Category Tenbu (Deva)
愛知県北名古屋市高田寺383
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (visits accepted at any time; free)
PowerDignityTense Presence
The Main Hall of Kodenji Temple houses a set of twelve wooden standing Divine Generals. Dating to the Muromachi period, they are attendants who protect Yakushi Tathagata. According to Kitanagoya City, the figures measure about 67–75 cm high and are made of joined cypress wood. Although some parts were added later, they retain much of their original form and are noted for expressive faces, varied poses, and powerful carving. They were repaired in 1700 and are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Kitanagoya City. They can be viewed among the temple treasures in the Main Hall, with visits accepted at any time and free of charge.
Kokazan Chokoji Temple
Buddhist Image Iron Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Asekaki Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛知県稲沢市六角堂東町3丁目2-8
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (special viewing inside Rokkakudo is generally available daily by arrangement; reserve at least 14 days in advance)
DepthMysteryPeacefulness
The Iron Standing Jizo Bodhisattva is enshrined in Chokoji Temple’s Jizo Hall, known as Rokkakudo. Cast in 1235, the 160 cm statue is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is exceptionally well cast and preserved for an iron Buddhist image, with a calm and compassionate expression. A local tradition says the statue sweats before major disturbances, giving rise to the name “Asekaki Jizo,” or “Sweating Jizo.” It remains an object of prayer for recovery from illness and the fulfillment of wishes. Special viewing inside Rokkakudo is generally available daily by arrangement and requires reservation at least 14 days in advance.
Ryusenji Temple
Buddhist Image Horse-Headed Kannon by Enku Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛知県名古屋市守山区竜泉寺1丁目902
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Treasure Museum open Sundays and public holidays, 9:00–15:00; admission ¥100)
MysteryPowerWarmth
Ryusenji Temple preserves this Horse-Headed Kannon carved by Enku. Enku is said to have visited Ryusenji in 1676 and left sculptures there. The 112 cm figure bears a horse manifestation above its head and has large, sharply raised eyes that give it a wrathful expression, while its broad mouth also carries the characteristic smile seen in Enku’s carvings. Statues of Atsuta Daimyojin and Amaterasu Omikami stand beside it, forming one of the representative groups of Enku images preserved at the temple. It can be viewed in the Treasure Museum (Ryusenji Castle) from 9:00 to 15:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
Senchoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Tathagata Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県西尾市吉良町吉田斉藤久100
Visiting Status Advance reservation required
NobilityPowerDepth
The principal image of Senchoji Temple’s Main Hall is a wooden seated Amida Tathagata from the Kamakura period. Tradition holds that it was originally made as the principal image of Daitsuji Temple in Kyoto, founded by Honkakuni, the wife of the third Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo, to pray for his repose. It later passed through Seiganji Temple, the head temple of the Seizan Fukakusa branch of Jodo Buddhism, before being transferred to Senchoji in 1884. The statue is noted for its masculine features and powerful physique and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Advance reservation is required for viewing.
Genyuji Temple
Buddhist Image Reclining Buddha Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県東海市富木島町北島28
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (temple grounds)
PeacefulnessWarmthStillness
Genyuji Temple is home to a reclining Buddha representing Shakyamuni at parinirvana. The temple is the 84th stop on the Chita Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage, and the Tokai City Tourism Association highlights this reclining image as a rare example on the Chita Peninsula. It can be viewed from the temple grounds during a regular visit.
Shinpukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Clay Buddha Head (Tathagata Type) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県岡崎市真福寺町字薬師山6
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Bodaijukan open only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; admission ¥370)
DepthStillnessNobility
A clay Buddha head from the Nara period displayed in Shinpukuji Temple’s Bodaijukan Treasure Museum. Designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aichi Prefecture, it is regarded as the oldest surviving clay Buddha head in the prefecture. The Tathagata-type head was formed by layering clay and, despite damage from fire, still preserves the calm modeling of an ancient Buddhist image. It is publicly displayed together with two other Buddha heads preserved at Shinpukuji. The museum is currently open only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Muryoji Temple (Gan-fuji Temple)
Buddhist Image Seated Dainichi Tathagata, Gandharan Buddha and Thousand Stone Buddhas Category Other
愛知県蒲郡市西浦町日中30
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (9:00–16:00, open year-round; free)
MysterySolemnityWarmth
The Senbutsudo Cave on the grounds of Muryoji Temple contains a remarkable group of Buddhist images. Modeled after cave temples in Dunhuang, Luoyang and Lanzhou in China, its dimly lit walls are lined with one thousand stone Buddhas, while a Gandharan Buddha and a large seated Dainichi Tathagata are enshrined deeper inside. Visitors can walk through the cave and view the many images at close range. Admission is free and the site is open year-round.
Toyokawa Inari (Myogonji Temple)
Buddhist Image Senju Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛知県豊川市豊川町1番地
Visiting Status Special public viewing (Nov 1–23, 2026; Dharma Hall 8:00–16:00; admission ¥500)
SolemnityMysteryPurity
The Dharma Hall of Toyokawa Inari (Myogonji Temple) enshrines a Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva. The new principal image is 2.35 m high and contains the former principal image within its abdomen as a hidden inner Buddha. The official guide describes it as one of only four statues in Japan with more than one thousand actual arms. During the 72-year special opening in 2026, the Dharma Hall is specially opened to the public from November 1 to 23, allowing general visitors to view the image inside.
Naritasan Nagoya Betsuin Daishoji (Inuyama Naritasan)
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
愛知県犬山市犬山北白山平5番地
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (6:30–17:30, open year-round; free)
PowerDignityTense Presence
The principal image of Naritasan Nagoya Betsuin Daishoji, commonly known as Inuyama Naritasan, is Fudo Myoo. The temple was founded in 1953 as the Nagoya branch temple of Naritasan Shinshoji in Chiba, with the Main Hall completed that year. It has since become one of the major centers of Fudo devotion in central Japan, where goma fire rituals are performed every day. General visitors may worship the principal image in the Main Hall, and admission for ordinary worship is free.
Hoouzan Jimokuji Temple (Jimokuji Kannon)
Buddhist Image Wooden Nio Guardian Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
愛知県あま市甚目寺東門前24
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (8:00–16:00, open year-round; free)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of wooden Nio guardian statues stands inside Jimokuji Temple’s Nandaimon Gate. Each figure is about 350 cm high. A 2008 investigation confirmed that they were donated by the warlord Fukushima Masanori in 1597, making them important first-rate examples of Buddhist sculpture from the Momoyama period. They were designed to appear most balanced when viewed from below and guard the gate with powerful, imposing forms. The statues are designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Aichi Prefecture and can be viewed during a regular visit to the temple.
Eikokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Tathagata (Hifuse Fushigi no Mida) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県名古屋市中区橘1丁目21-38
Visiting Status Regular viewing available during the Japanese Christian Museum's opening hours (9:00–17:00; closed Sundays, public holidays and year-end/New Year holidays)
SolemnityDepthPeacefulness
The principal image of Eikokuji Temple is a jo-roku-scale wooden seated Amida Tathagata. Traditionally attributed to the Kamakura-period Buddhist sculptor Kasuga, it is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aichi Prefecture. Revered as the “Hifuse Fushigi no Mida,” or miraculous fire-protecting Amida, it is counted among the Three Great Buddhas of Nagoya. In 1665, Owari lord Tokugawa Mitsutomo had the image moved from Yakushiji Temple in Niwa District to Eikokuji. The temple's Japanese Christian Museum officially lists the statue among its displays, allowing visitors to worship it during museum opening hours.
Jissoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Shaka Triad Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県西尾市上町下屋敷15
Visiting Status Regular special opening (second Sunday of April each year during the O-Shaka-san festival)
RefinementNobilitySolemnity
The principal images of Jissoji Temple’s Shaka Hall are a wooden Shaka triad dating to 1362 in the Nanboku-cho period. Shaka Tathagata is flanked by Monju Bodhisattva and Fugen Bodhisattva. Documents found inside the statues confirm that they were commissioned through the vows of Kira Mitsusada, Jissoji’s fifth abbot Taizan Ichigen, and other devotees. Stylistic and technical features suggest work by sculptors of the In school or closely related craftsmen. The triad is designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Aichi Prefecture and is shown to the public each year on the second Sunday of April during the O-Shaka-san festival.
Nagoya Great Kannon Kinryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Juichimen Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛知県名古屋市瑞穂区亀城町5-31
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (6:30–17:00, no reservation required; hours may vary by season)
SolemnityWarmthGentleness
The principal image of Kinryuji Temple is an Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva carved from a sacred camphor tree more than 200 years old that once stood beside the main hall of Hasedera in Nara. Completed in 1956, the wooden statue stands 7.6 meters high and reaches about 9 meters including its halo. Known as the Nagoya Great Kannon or Mizuho Kannon, it can be approached through a narrow passage beneath the inner sanctuary, allowing worshippers to reach and touch the feet of the statue. With daily, reservation-free access, it offers an unusually direct encounter with a monumental Buddhist image.
Jomyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Enku-carved Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛知県西尾市徳永町東側39
Visiting Status Freely viewable (Nishio Tourism Association lists the image as open for viewing)
GentlenessPowerWarmth
Jomyoji Temple preserves a monumental Kannon Bodhisattva carved by Enku around 1674. The single-block wooden statue stands 270 cm high and retains the natural mass and grain of the tree, with visible adze marks characteristic of Enku's work. It is regarded as one of Enku's largest surviving images, second only to the Nio figures at Arako Kannonji. Its rounded face bears a gentle smile, and the statue is said to have been transferred to Jomyoji from the Ise area during the early Meiji-period anti-Buddhist movement. Nishio's tourism association explicitly states that the image may be viewed freely.
Ongakuji Temple
Buddhist Image 16 Enku Statues (Yakushi Triad, Twelve Heavenly Generals, Kojin, and Great Dharma-Protecting Deity) Category Other
愛知県江南市村久野町寺町73
Visiting Status Regular seasonal opening (weekends and holidays during the Wisteria Festival; weekends during the Hydrangea Festival; advance inquiry possible at other times)
PowerMysteryWarmth
The Murakuni no Sato Historical Museum at Ongakuji Temple displays 16 statues carved by Enku: a Yakushi triad, 11 of the Twelve Heavenly Generals, a Kojin deity, and a Great Dharma-Protecting Deity. The group is associated with Enku's mature period around 1676, when he was about 45. Vigorous adze cuts give the figures exceptional force while many retain Enku's characteristic warmth. The stern Kojin is especially distinctive and was exhibited in Berlin in 1971. The museum opens on designated festival weekends and can also be visited at other times by advance arrangement.
Owari Kokubunji Temple
Buddhist Image Two Wooden Seated Shaka Nyorai Statues Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県稲沢市矢合町城跡2490
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (temple treasure house; Important Cultural Properties have also been opened on Kokubunji Marche days)
RefinementNobilitySolemnity
Owari Kokubunji preserves two wooden seated Shaka Nyorai statues in its treasure house. Both are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties dating from the late Kamakura to Nanboku-cho period. The larger figure, 103.1 cm high, wears an eight-sided jeweled crown and shows drapery influenced by Song-dynasty Buddhist sculpture. The smaller, 60.7 cm high, is distinguished by openwork arabesque decoration on its crown and a youthful facial expression. Both are joined-wood hinoki sculptures with crystal eyes and are notable examples of crowned Shaka imagery transmitted in Zen temples. The treasure house is available by advance arrangement, with past public openings during the Kokubunji Marche.
Ganjoji Yakushido Hall
Buddhist Image Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
愛知県名古屋市中村区高須賀町8
Visiting Status General visits possible (interior viewing depends on on-site conditions; advance confirmation recommended for assured viewing)
PowerDignityTense Presence
Ganjoji Yakushido Hall preserves a pair of monumental Nio guardian statues flanking the hall's principal Yakushi Nyorai. Dating to the early Kamakura period, each figure stands about 3.1–3.2 meters high. Nagoya City's Nakamura Ward describes their archaic style and artistic quality as among the finest in Aichi Prefecture. The open-mouthed Agyo symbolizes beginnings, while the closed-mouthed Ungyo symbolizes endings, the pair together embodying the two aspects of the world. Their scale and force make this one of Nagoya's most impressive places to encounter early Buddhist sculpture.
Kaitokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai (Ohama Daibutsu) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛知県碧南市音羽町1丁目60
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (no reservation required; photography prohibited)
SolemnityPeacefulnessDepth
Kaitokuji Temple's principal image is a monumental wooden seated Amida Nyorai, 277.7 cm high. An inscription inside the statue shows that it was created between 1134 and 1136 in the late Heian period. It was originally the principal image of Bodaisan Jinguji near the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu and was transferred to Ohama during the anti-Buddhist movement of the early Meiji era, becoming Kaitokuji's principal image. Nationally designated as an Important Cultural Property, it is affectionately known locally as the Ohama Daibutsu. Hekinan City states that the statue may be viewed, though photography is prohibited, and the official tourism site notes that no reservation is required.