Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Jizoin Temple (Bamboo Temple)
Buddhist Image Enmei Anzan Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市西京区山田北ノ町23
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (9:00–16:00; no entry inside the Main Hall; occasional closures)
GentlenessWarmthStillness
A Rinzai Zen temple in Yamada Kitanocho, Nishikyo Ward, known as the Bamboo Temple for its bamboo-covered grounds. It was founded in 1367 by Hosokawa Yoriyuki, a kanrei of the Muromachi shogunate, with Muso Kokushi as its founding master. The Main Hall enshrines a Jizo Bosatsu image dating back to the Heian period, long revered as Tani no Jizo, Enmei Jizo, and Anzan Jizo. The principal image was rescued when the temple complex burned during the Onin War and has been preserved ever since. Regular viewing is available, but visitors may not enter the interior of the Main Hall, and checking the official viewing calendar in advance is recommended.
Ankokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shaka Nyorai and Two Attendant Figures Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府綾部市安国寺町寺ノ段1
Visiting Status Grounds freely accessible (interior viewing by reservation; Apr–Sep 8:00–18:00, Oct–Mar 8:30–17:00)
DignityRefinementStillness
An old Rinzai Zen temple in Ankokujicho, Ayabe, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Ashikaga Takauji. The Butsuden Hall enshrines a wooden seated Shaka Nyorai with two attendant figures, designated an Important Cultural Property and attributed to Goen, a sculptor of the En school. The balanced composition of the Shaka triad conveys the refined character of medieval Buddhist sculpture and can be appreciated in the temple’s quiet setting. The grounds are freely accessible, but advance reservation is required to view the interior of the Butsuden Hall.
Seigenji Temple
Buddhist Image Mokujiki Buddhist Images (Shaka, Sixteen Arhats, and others; 22 images) Category Other
京都府南丹市八木町諸畑大谷口102
Visiting Status Advance contact required (9:00–16:30)
WarmthGentlenessStillness
A temple in the rural hills of Yagicho, Nantan. Its Rakan Hall preserves Buddhist images carved by the itinerant ascetic sculptor Mokujiki Gogyō Myōman during his stay here in 1806. He is said to have arrived at the age of 89 and carved 28 images over about five months; 22 survive today, including a Shaka image and the Sixteen Arhats. Their rounded forms and warm, smiling expressions are distinctive, making this an exceptional place to encounter a concentrated group of Mokujiki sculptures at close range. Advance contact is required for viewing.
Kuhonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府南丹市園部町船阪大門47-1
Visiting Status Freely accessible
PowerDignityTense Presence
An old Omuro-school Shingon temple in Funasaka, Sonobe-cho, Nantan. Temple tradition says it was founded by Kukai in 810 and later established under Imperial Prince Kakugyo, a son of Emperor Shirakawa, in 1079. Most of the temple complex was lost in wartime fires during the Sengoku period, but the Kamakura-period Niomon Gate survived. The wooden Kongo Rikishi statues enshrined inside the gate, together with the gate itself, are designated Important Cultural Properties. Visitors can see the powerful Agyo and Ungyo guardians at close range through the gate during ordinary worship.
Saikoji Temple (Tora Yakushi)
Buddhist Image Tora Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市中京区新京極通蛸薬師上る中筋町495-1
Visiting Status Viewing available (10:00–16:00; interior viewing unavailable during services, but worship from outside is possible)
WarmthPeacefulnessPurity
A temple of the Seizan Fukakusa branch of Jodo Buddhism on Shinkyogoku Street, popularly known as Tora Yakushi. Temple tradition says that Kukai carved the image with one reverential bow for each cut under an imperial command, and that it became known as Tora Yakushi because it was completed on a day and hour of the Tiger. The image was originally enshrined in the Imperial Palace and venerated by successive emperors; during the Koan era it was bestowed by Emperor Go-Uda, and a hall was built to enshrine it, forming the origin of the temple. As the 11th temple of the Kyoto Twelve Yakushi Pilgrimage, it continues a living tradition of prayer for protection, good fortune, and freedom from illness.
Godai-do Dojuin Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
京都府京都市東山区本町15丁目799
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public (opened during the autumn special viewing period; exact 2026 dates should be confirmed)
PowerDignitySolemnity
A subtemple of Tofukuji that enshrines a surviving image from the former Godai-do of Hosshoji as its principal image. The seated Fudo Myoo in the Godai-do was commissioned by Fujiwara no Michinaga from the sculptor Kosho in 1006 and stands 265 cm high. It is regarded as the largest wooden seated Fudo Myoo in Japan and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The immense figure combines a powerful wrathful expression with the elegance characteristic of Fujiwara-period sculpture and is also known as Juman Fudo. The hall is normally closed, but the temple officially opens the image during its autumn special viewing period.
Bujoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市左京区花背原地町772
Visiting Status Normally closed (special repository viewing: three days from May 3, three days from November 3, and September 17; dates may vary and viewing is canceled in rain)
NobilityMysterySolemnity
An old temple of the Honzan Shugendo tradition on the slopes of Mt. Daihi in Hanase. Traditionally founded by Kanku in 1154, it is renowned for its Main Hall, Japan's oldest surviving stage-style temple building projecting from a cliff. The wooden seated Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu preserved in the Treasure Repository dates to the temple's founding year, 1154, and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The image is normally closed to the public, but the repository opens on limited special-viewing days in early May, September 17, and early November. Rain cancels viewing, so access is highly restricted, but this remains an exceptionally rare opportunity to encounter a late-Heian principal image in a mountain temple of Shugendo.
Chudoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Zochoten Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府京都市右京区京北上中町筒江口8
Visiting Status Advance contact required (unmanned temple; viewing around the spring or autumn equinox is recommended)
PowerDignityStillness
A small temple in Keihoku Kaminakacho. Its Treasure Repository houses a wooden standing Zochoten dating to the Heian period and designated an Important Cultural Property. The grounds are freely accessible, but the temple is normally unmanned, so advance contact is required to view the important Buddhist image. The Kyoto Tourism Federation recommends arranging a visit around the spring or autumn equinox services. Although access is limited, it is a rewarding place to encounter a Heian-period heavenly guardian image directly in a quiet rural temple setting.
Enpukuji Temple (Daruma Hall)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Bodhidharma (Daruma Daishi) Category Other
京都府八幡市八幡福禄谷153
Visiting Status Special viewing twice a year (April 20 and October 20, only on Manninko festival days)
DepthDignityStillness
A Rinzai Zen training monastery in Yawata, founded in 1783 as Japan’s first specialized Rinzai training hall known as a Kogo dojo. Its Zen Meditation Hall enshrines a wooden seated Bodhidharma traditionally regarded as the oldest of its kind in Japan and designated an Important Cultural Property. The temple is normally closed to the general public, but on April 20 and October 20 each year the grounds open for the Manninko festival and the statue is specially unveiled. Although viewing is limited to only two days a year, this is a distinctive Buddhist spot where visitors can encounter a powerful portrait of the founder of Zen tradition directly.
Daichiji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Monju Bosatsu and Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府木津川市木津雲村42-1
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (10:00–16:00; confirm when booking)
NobilityDepthRefinement
An old Shingon Risshu temple near Izumi Bridge on the Kizu River. Its principal image, a seated Monju Bosatsu, is traditionally said to have been carved in the Kamakura period from a surviving pillar of the ancient bridge believed to have been built by Gyoki in the Nara period. The image sits on a lotus throne carried by a lion. The temple also preserves a standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu from the late 10th century. Both are designated Important Cultural Properties. Although advance reservation is required, visitors can encounter two highly distinctive Buddhist sculptures from different periods in the same Main Hall.
Daihoonji Temple (Senbon Shakado)
Buddhist Image Wooden Statues of the Six Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市上京区溝前町1034
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Treasure Hall, 9:00–17:00; entry by 16:00)
SolemnityNobilityDepth
The Treasure Hall of Daihoonji, also known as Senbon Shakado, preserves a complete group of six Kannon Bodhisattvas made in 1224 during the Kamakura period: Sho Kannon, Thousand-Armed Kannon, Bato Kannon, Eleven-Faced Kannon, Juntei Kannon and Nyoirin Kannon. An inscription inside the Juntei Kannon identifies the sculptor as Higo Betto Jokei, a master of the Kei school. The group, together with a standing Jizo Bodhisattva, was designated a National Treasure in 2024. Seeing all six powerful Kei-school sculptures together at close range makes this one of Kyoto’s most substantial Buddhist-statue destinations.
Daihoonji Temple (Senbon Shakado)
Buddhist Image Wooden Statues of the Ten Great Disciples Category Other
京都府京都市上京区溝前町1034
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Treasure Hall, 9:00–17:00; entry by 16:00)
DepthRefinementStillness
The Treasure Hall of Daihoonji displays wooden statues of the Ten Great Disciples dating to 1220 in the Kamakura period. Each figure portrays one of Shakyamuni’s ten foremost disciples with striking realism. Inscriptions on the statues of Mokuren and Ubari confirm the hand of the master sculptor Kaikei, and the group is designated an Important Cultural Property as a representative work from his later career. The individualized faces, drapery and sense of age and character give these sculptures an unusually vivid human presence, offering a very different encounter from images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Joshokoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai and Two Attendant Bodhisattvas Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区京北井戸町丸山14-6
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (9:00–16:00)
SolemnityMysteryStillness
Joshokoji is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Tenryuji school in the mountain village of Keihoku. Its Buddha Hall enshrines a late-Heian wooden Amida triad. Amida forms the meditation mudra, while Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas lean forward on cloud-shaped pedestals in an unusually dynamic raigo composition. The group is designated an Important Cultural Property and is regarded as a pioneering sculptural expression of the immediacy of Amida’s descent, anticipating later Kamakura-period developments. In the quiet setting of this mountain temple, visitors can encounter one of Kyoto’s most unusual surviving Amida triads.
Horinji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Shaka Nyorai, Yakushi Nyorai, and Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府亀岡市宮前町神前狭間27
Visiting Status Normally closed / special opening scheduled for November 14–29, 2026
SolemnityDepthStillness
Horinji is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Daitokuji school in the rural hills of Kameoka. Its treasure repository houses three Heian-period seated Buddhas—Shaka Nyorai, Yakushi Nyorai and Amida Nyorai—all designated Important Cultural Properties. The Yakushi follows the gentle Jocho style with influence from sculptors of the En school, while the Amida is regarded as an especially refined work closely adhering to Jocho-style ideals. The statues are normally closed to the public, but all three are scheduled to be unveiled during the Kyoto Special Opening of Normally Closed Cultural Properties from November 14 to 29, 2026. The chance to compare three distinguished Heian Buddhas together makes this an exceptionally substantial Buddhist-statue destination.
Chion-in Temple
Buddhist Image Crowned Shaka Nyorai and Sixteen Arhats Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市東山区林下町400
Visiting Status Normally closed / special opening from October 31 to November 13, 2026
SolemnityDignityMystery
The upper level of Chion-in’s National Treasure Sanmon Gate is normally closed to the public and functions as a Buddhist worship space. At its center is a crowned Shaka Nyorai, with statues of the Sixteen Arhats arranged on the side altars; all are designated Important Cultural Properties. The ceiling, pillars and walls retain vividly colored paintings of heavenly beings, kalavinka and flying dragons, creating a complete sacred world above the monumental gate. The space is scheduled to open specially from October 31 to November 13, 2026, offering a rare chance to experience the crowned Buddha and the Arhat group within the original architectural setting.
Sennyu-ji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Kannon Bosatsu (Yokihi Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市東山区泉涌寺山内町27
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Mar–Nov 9:00–16:30 / Dec–Feb 9:00–16:00)
MysteryRefinementNobility
The Yokihi Kannon Hall at Sennyu-ji, Kyoto’s imperial temple, enshrines a seated wooden Kannon Bodhisattva made in Southern Song China. The image is traditionally said to have been brought from China by the monk Tankai in 1230 and has been popularly known as the “Yokihi Kannon” since the early Edo period. Wearing a large openwork crown, the figure has an elongated face, dense pale wood and well-preserved original pigments and kirikane decoration, giving it an appearance strikingly different from Japanese Buddhist sculpture. Designated an Important Cultural Property, it offers a rare opportunity to encounter Southern Song Buddhist sculpture during regular temple viewing.
Former Tomyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Statues of Senju Kannon, Fukukensaku Kannon, Juichimen Kannon, Sho Kannon, and Bato Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府木津川市加茂町兎並寺山41
Visiting Status Normally closed / special opening in early November each year (November 1–3, 2026)
SolemnityMysteryDepth
A treasure repository at the former site of Tomyoji Temple in Kamo, Kizugawa, preserves five wooden standing Kannon images: Senju Kannon, Fukukensaku Kannon, Juichimen Kannon, Sho Kannon and Bato Kannon. Dating from the Kamakura to Nanbokucho periods, all five are designated cultural properties of Kyoto Prefecture. Although the temple’s former main hall and three-story pagoda were relocated to Sankeien in Yokohama, this remarkable group of statues remains at the original temple site and is normally kept closed to the public. The repository is scheduled to open from November 1 to 3, 2026, offering a rare chance to compare five distinct forms of Kannon together.
Joruriji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kisshoten in a Shrine Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府木津川市加茂町西小札場40
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing / Jan 1–15, Mar 21–May 20, and Oct 1–Nov 30
NobilityRefinementMystery
Inside a shrine in Joruriji’s Main Hall stands a richly colored wooden image of Kisshoten, the goddess of beauty and good fortune. Records indicate that the statue dates to around 1212 in the early Kamakura period, and it is designated an Important Cultural Property. Its full face, elaborate ornaments and remarkably preserved colors give the figure an elegant, almost luminous presence. The shrine is normally closed, but the image is unveiled during fixed periods at New Year, in spring and in autumn; in 2026 the autumn opening runs from October 1 through November 30. Its vivid and graceful character offers a striking contrast to the temple’s austere Nine Amida statues.
Seiryoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai and Two Attendant Bodhisattvas (Former Principal Images of Seikaji) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区嵯峨釈迦堂藤ノ木町46
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (October 1–November 30, 2026; 9:00–16:30 scheduled)
SolemnityNobilityStillness
Seiryoji’s Treasure Hall preserves the former principal images of Seikaji: a Heian-period Amida triad consisting of Amida Nyorai with Kannon and Seishi Bodhisattvas. All three figures are National Treasures. The group is traditionally associated with memorial rites for Minamoto no Toru, whose former estate became Seikaji, and the central Amida is sometimes called the “face of Hikaru Genji,” after the literary character said to have been modeled in part on Toru. The refined, gentle elegance of Heian sculpture can be experienced with all three figures together at close range. The Treasure Hall is scheduled to open from October 1 to November 30, 2026.
Gansenji Temple
Buddhist Image Secret Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府木津川市加茂町岩船上ノ門43
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (October 1–November 30, 2026; 8:30–17:00, last admission 16:45)
MysteryStillnessNobility
Gansenji preserves a secret image of Nyoirin Kannon that is normally kept closed from public view. The shrine is opened during special viewing periods in spring and autumn; in autumn 2026 the image is scheduled to be shown from October 1 through November 30. During the same period, the temple also unveils secret images of Benzaiten and Rasetsuten. This offers a rare encounter with a very different side of Gansenji from its regularly viewable monumental Amida Buddha and gives visitors a clear reason to come specifically during the unveiling period.