Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Saijuji Temple
Buddhist Image Joroku Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区鳴滝泉谷町16
Visiting Status Regular worship available (7:00–17:00; confirming access to the principal image with the temple in advance is recommended)
PeacefulnessSolemnityGentleness
Saijuji’s Main Hall enshrines a monumental seated Amida Nyorai known as the Joroku Amida. According to temple tradition, the image was transferred here in 1658 from Shingu Daimyojin in Konan, Omi Province, and is attributed to the Enpa school of Buddhist sculptors in the late Heian period. Measuring about three meters in height, the serene figure forms the jobon josho meditation mudra and preserves the gentle, rounded qualities associated with Fujiwara-period sculpture. Despite its imposing scale, the Buddha’s soft expression gives the image an enveloping sense of calm. The temple is currently open for worship from 7:00 to 17:00.
Anaoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Reclining Shaka Nyorai (Nadebotoke) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府亀岡市曽我部町穴太東ノ辻46
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Main Hall 8:30–16:15; Main Hall and garden admission ¥500)
WarmthPeacefulnessDepth
Anaoji’s Main Hall houses a life-size wooden reclining Shaka Nyorai, a joined-wood sculpture dating to the Kamakura period. The Buddha rests his head on a lotus pedestal with his right hand as a pillow, representing Shaka entering nirvana. Generations of worshippers have touched and rubbed the statue in prayer, leaving the exposed wood polished dark and even wearing away all of the snail-shell curls on the head. Known as a Nadebotoke, visitors may still touch the same part of the statue as an afflicted part of their own body and then rub themselves while praying for healing. The continuing physical act of devotion makes this an exceptionally distinctive Buddhist site.
Tenporinji Temple
Buddhist Image Omuro Daibutsu Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区龍安寺山田町2
Visiting Status Open for worship (temple grounds from sunrise to sunset; advance confirmation recommended for access inside the Main Hall)
SolemnityDignityPeacefulness
The principal image of Tenporinji is a monumental seated Amida Nyorai known as the Omuro Daibutsu. Measuring about 7.5 meters in height, the temple describes it as the largest wooden seated Buddha in Kyoto. Traditionally said to have been commissioned by Shin-Chuwa-mon-in for Emperor Sakuramachi in the mid-Edo period, the figure reaches roughly two jo and six shaku when the halo is included. Its gentle expression combined with its immense scale creates an enveloping presence unlike that of ordinary Buddhist statues. Still revered at the center of the temple’s nembutsu practice, it is one of Kyoto’s most imposing Amida images.
Kaijusenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Four Heavenly Kings Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府木津川市加茂町例幣海住山20
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (October 31–November 29, 2026; 9:00–16:30, last admission 16:00)
PowerDignityTense Presence
Kaijusenji preserves an Important Cultural Property group of four wooden standing Heavenly Kings traditionally associated with its five-story pagoda. Dating to the 13th century in the Kamakura period, the figures are carved in hinoki, painted, and fitted with crystal eyes. Jikokuten and Zochoten are shown in strongly dynamic poses, while Komokuten and Tamonten are more restrained, giving each guardian a distinct tension. Their green, red, white, and blue body colors and sculptural forms preserve the lineage of the so-called Daibutsuden-style Four Heavenly Kings established in the early Kamakura period. In autumn 2026, all four are on special display from October 31 through November 29.
Seiryoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Monju Bosatsu Riding a Lion and Fugen Bosatsu Riding an Elephant Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
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)
NobilityRefinementSolemnity
Seiryoji’s Treasure Hall preserves two Important Cultural Property sculptures from the Heian period: Monju Bosatsu riding a lion and Fugen Bosatsu riding an elephant. They originally served as the attendant figures flanking the temple’s principal standing Shaka Nyorai in the Main Hall. Monju embodies wisdom and Fugen religious practice, and the two form a classic Shaka triad arrangement. Their calm seated forms atop powerful animal mounts create a striking contrast. They are scheduled to be on view in the Treasure Hall from October 1 through November 30, 2026.
Zempukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Jizo Bosatsu (Koyasu Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府舞鶴市字京田152
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (November 20–24, 2026; 9:00–16:00 / reception from 13:00 on November 22)
GentlenessPeacefulnessDepth
Zempukuji in Maizuru preserves a wooden seated Jizo Bosatsu designated as a Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Property. An ink inscription inside the statue dates it precisely to 1175, making it a valuable late-Heian sculpture with a firmly established date. Revered locally as Koyasu Jizo, it has long attracted prayers for safe childbirth and the healthy growth of children. Temple tradition records that the image once stood in a separate Jizo hall and was later transferred to Zempukuji after that building collapsed in a flood. In autumn 2026 it will be shown during the Kyoto Hidden Cultural Properties special opening from November 20 to 24.
Kitamukizan Fudoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Fudo Myo-o (Half-seated Fudo Myo-o) Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
京都府京都市伏見区竹田浄菩提院町61
Visiting Status Hidden image; unveiled annually on January 16 (9:00–16:00; inner-sanctum viewing and special blessing available)
PowerTense PresenceDignity
Kitamukizan Fudoin in Fushimi, Kyoto, preserves its principal image, a wooden seated Fudo Myoo. Designated an Important Cultural Property and attributed to the late-Heian sculptor Kosuke, the figure is exceptionally rare for its period because it lowers the right leg from a seated posture, as if about to rise. The image is closely tied to the temple’s foundation legend involving prayers for the recovery of Emperor Toba and was enshrined facing north to protect the capital. Although normally hidden, it is unveiled every January 16, allowing visitors to encounter its unusually tense and dynamic presence directly.
Kounji Temple
Buddhist Image Sho Kannon Statue (traditionally attributed to Unkei) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市左京区南禅寺北ノ坊町59
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (November 28–December 6, 2026; 9:00–16:00 / reception until noon on November 30 and December 2, and until 15:30 on December 3)
NobilityStillnessDepth
Kounji, an outlying sub-temple of Nanzenji, preserves a statue of Sho Kannon traditionally attributed to the sculptor Unkei. It is also handed down as a devotional image associated with Tofukumon-in, whose memorial temple Kounji became after its restoration in the seventeenth century. The temple is normally closed to the public, but from November 28 to December 6, 2026, its main hall will open for the Kyoto Hidden Cultural Properties special viewing, when the Sho Kannon can be seen together with the principal Shaka triad and a seated image of Tofukumon-in. The clear viewing opportunity and the statue’s strong sculptural tradition make this a substantial Buddhist-image destination.
Shingyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Sho Kannon Bosatsu (traditionally attributed to Jikaku Daishi Ennin) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市左京区北門前町472
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (October 31–November 9, 2026; scheduled 9:00–16:00 / Kyoto Hidden Cultural Properties special opening)
MysteryNobilityStillness
Shingyoji in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward preserves a wooden standing Sho Kannon Bodhisattva in its main hall. The image is considered to date from the Heian period and is traditionally attributed to Jikaku Daishi Ennin, the third head priest of the Tendai school. Unlike the more common Kannon image holding a single lotus flower, this statue carries a distinctive lotus with two blossoms growing from one stem, known as ikki nika. The temple is normally closed to the public, but it is scheduled to open from October 31 to November 9, 2026, for the Kyoto Hidden Cultural Properties special viewing, offering a rare chance to see this venerable Kannon directly.
Otokunidera Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Bishamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府長岡京市今里3丁目14-7
Visiting Status Special viewing in spring and autumn (around late April–early May and around November–December; cultural-property viewing 9:30–16:00)
DignityStillnessDepth
Otokunidera in Nagaokakyo preserves a wooden standing Bishamonten designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Dating to the 12th century in the Heian period, the figure is known for an unusually subdued, melancholy expression and is sometimes called the “Bishamonten of Sorrow.” It is specially displayed in spring and autumn together with the temple’s Eleven-Faced Kannon. The combination of guardian-deity dignity with the calm, introspective quality of late-Heian sculpture makes it one of Otokunidera’s most memorable Buddhist images.
Hojuji Temple
Buddhist Image Migawari Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
京都府京都市東山区三十三間堂廻り町655
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (reception 9:00–16:00); annual inner-sanctum viewing on April 28
DignityTense PresenceDepth
Hojuji in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward enshrines Migawari Fudo Myoo as its principal image. Traditionally regarded as a devotional image of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, it came to be known as the “Substitute Fudo” through a legend that it protected him during the attack on the Hojuji-dono palace complex. The temple stands on the historic site associated with Go-Shirakawa and remains an active center of Fudo worship with goma fire rituals. Regular visits are possible, and on April 28 each year an inner-sanctum viewing offers a rare opportunity to approach the principal image more closely.
Hokongo-in Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Eleven-Faced Kannon in a Zushi Shrine Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市右京区花園扇野町49
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Main Hall; normally on display)
MysteryNobilityRefinement
Hokongo-in’s main hall houses a wooden seated Eleven-Faced Kannon from the Kamakura period, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The statue is 69.2 cm high and is unusual for an Eleven-Faced Kannon in having four arms. Enshrined within a zushi cabinet, it is further distinguished by delicate, richly worked metal ornamentation. Among Hokongo-in’s notable Buddhist sculptures, the image stands out for the poised refinement and concentrated presence associated with Kamakura-period sculpture. Kyoto’s official tourism information lists it as normally on display, making it a strong destination for visitors interested specifically in Buddhist statuary.
Rokudo Chinnoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Enma Daio (traditionally attributed to Ono no Takamura) Category Other
京都府京都市東山区小松町595
Visiting Status Limited-period viewing (November 21–23, 2026, 9:00–16:00, during the latter Autumn Temple Treasures Exhibition; also shown on other special exhibition occasions)
DignityTense PresenceMystery
Rokudo Chinnoji in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward enshrines a wooden seated image of Enma Daio in its Enma Hall. Traditionally attributed to the Heian-period courtier Ono no Takamura, the statue is closely tied to the legend that Takamura served the imperial court by day and the court of Enma in the underworld by night. The temple stands at the legendary Rokudo-no-Tsuji, the boundary between this world and the afterlife, and the image embodies that distinctive belief tradition. It is displayed during special temple-treasure exhibitions, including November 21–23, 2026.
Shoryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府長岡京市勝竜寺19-25
Visiting Status Hidden image; unveiled twice a year: August 18 for the Kannon Festival and the second Sunday of November for the Nagaokakyo Garasha Festival (November 8 in 2026)
NobilityRefinementStillness
The principal image of Shoryuji Temple in Nagaokakyo is a wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon from the Kamakura period, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is normally entrusted to the Kyoto National Museum and returns to the temple for public veneration only twice a year: on August 18 for the Kannon Festival and on the second Sunday of November for the Nagaokakyo Garasha Festival. In 2026 the festival falls on November 8. The image represents a substantial example of Kamakura-period Kannon sculpture, and the rarity of its viewing opportunities makes an encounter with the original statue especially meaningful.
Koryuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Fukukensaku Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市右京区太秦蜂岡町32
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Treasure Hall; March–November 9:00–17:00 / December–February 9:00–16:30; open daily)
SolemnityDignityMystery
Koryuji Temple’s Treasure Hall in Uzumasa, Kyoto, houses the National Treasure wooden standing Fukukensaku Kannon. Dating from the Heian period, the image preserves the powerful sculptural character of early medieval Buddhist art in Kyoto. Fukukensaku Kannon is revered as a form of Kannon who draws all beings toward salvation, and the statue’s multiple arms and strongly frontal presence create an exceptional sense of tension and authority. It is on regular display in the Treasure Hall together with Koryuji’s famous Miroku Bosatsu half-seated image.
Hojo-in Temple (Hashidera)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Hashidera Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府宇治市宇治東内11
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (Main Hall, 9:00–16:00; admission 500 yen)
GentlenessRefinementDepth
Hojo-in, also known as Hashidera, stands at the eastern end of Uji Bridge and enshrines a wooden standing Jizo Bodhisattva as its principal image. Dating from the late Kamakura period, the statue is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Nearly 1.9 meters tall, it has a dignified joined-block construction, delicate kirikane decoration on the robes, and an elaborately worked halo. Also known as Hashidera Jizo, the image is closely tied to the temple’s long history of guarding Uji Bridge. The main hall is normally open to visitors, making this a particularly rewarding place to encounter an important medieval Buddhist sculpture directly.
Hoshakuji Temple (Takaradera)
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Enma Daio and Four Attendant Figures (5 statues) Category Other
京都府乙訓郡大山崎町銭原1番地
Visiting Status Regular viewing available (daily 9:00–16:00; viewing suspended during services; Enma Hall admission 400 yen)
DignityTense PresenceMystery
Hoshakuji Temple in Oyamazaki preserves a group of five wooden underworld officials centered on a seated Enma Daio. Dating from the early Kamakura period, the group is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Enma is accompanied by Shimei, Shiroku, Gushoshin and Ankoku Doji, forming a powerful ensemble of judges and attendants of the afterlife. The Kyoto National Museum identifies the group as among the earliest surviving sculptures of this type. Crystal-inlaid eyes and the imposing scale give the figures an exceptional sense of presence. The Enma Hall is normally open to visitors, making this an unusually accessible place to encounter forceful Kamakura-period Buddhist sculpture.
Yakushiji Temple (Saga)
Buddhist Image Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区嵯峨釈迦堂藤ノ木町46
Visiting Status Normally closed to the public; the main hall opens only on August 24 each year (10:00–15:00, free admission)
PurityPeacefulnessDepth
Yakushiji in Saga, Kyoto, enshrines a seated Yakushi Nyorai as its principal image. According to temple tradition, in 818 Emperor Saga, concerned by an epidemic, ordered Kukai (Kobo Daishi) to create an image of Yakushi, the Buddha of healing. The temple is normally closed to individual visitors, but the main hall opens to the public once a year on August 24 during the Jizo-bon observance, from 10:00 to 15:00, with free admission. Its early-Heian imperial foundation tradition and living devotion to the healing Buddha make it a meaningful Buddhist-image destination despite the limited viewing schedule.
Rengeoin (Sanjusangendo)
Buddhist Image National Treasure: Twenty-Eight Attendant Deities Category Tenbu (Deva)
京都府京都市東山区三十三間堂廻町657
Visiting Status Regular viewing available year-round (Apr 1–Nov 15: 8:30–17:00; Nov 16–Mar 31: 9:00–16:00; last admission 30 minutes before closing)
DignityPowerTense Presence
The Twenty-Eight Attendant Deities in Sanjusangendo’s main hall are National Treasure guardian figures serving the Thousand-Armed Kannon. The complete group of twenty-eight deities, rooted in ancient Indian religious traditions, is a rare surviving ensemble. Carved in joined blocks of cypress and fitted with crystal-inlaid eyes, the richly individualized figures include Naraenkengo, Karura, Bishamonten, Taishakuten and Ashura. Their vivid expressions, dynamic postures and varied attributes are regarded as masterpieces of Kamakura-period sculpture. Arranged before the rows of Thousand-Armed Kannon, they bring extraordinary tension and vitality to the hall.
Gonjoji Temple
Buddhist Image Birushana Buddha Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市伏見区西桝屋町1038
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (Main Hall viewing 10:00–16:30; donation requested)
SolemnityDignityDepth
Gonjoji Temple in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward enshrines a monumental wooden seated Vairocana Buddha known as the Fushimi Daibutsu. At about 5.3 meters high, it is regarded as one of Japan’s largest wooden Buddha images. The massive head and full-bodied form fill the main hall with a commanding presence, making a close encounter with the statue especially impressive. The temple is also traditionally associated with Zen master Dogen and with the local legend of Fukakusa no Shosho and Ono no Komachi. The main hall is normally locked, but visits can be arranged in advance during the indicated hours.