Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Higashitakao Kannonji
Buddhist Image Thousand-Armed Kannon and Eleven-Headed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県東伯郡北栄町東高尾560
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (admission ¥500)
DepthMysterySolemnity
Higashitakao Kannonji houses 45 Buddhist statues. At the center are wooden standing images of the Thousand-Armed Kannon and Eleven-Headed Kannon, both designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The Thousand-Armed Kannon, thought to date from the early to middle Heian period, is about 1.9 m tall and carved from a single block of cypress; it is regarded as the oldest wooden Buddhist statue in Tottori Prefecture. The Eleven-Headed Kannon, thought to date from the late Heian period, is about 1.59 m tall and also carved from a single cypress block, with a gentler expression. The repository contains a concentrated group of ancient images including eleven prefecturally designated statues. Advance reservation is required.
Otaki-san Jizoin
Buddhist Image Jizo Bosatsu in Half-Lotus Pose Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県倉吉市関金町関金宿1218
Visiting Status Normally open for worship (confirm for ceremonies and special events)
PowerDignitySolemnity
Jizoin’s Jizo Treasure Hall enshrines a wooden Jizo Bosatsu in a half-lotus pose designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. With an overall height of 358.6 cm, this monumental image is constructed from joined cypress blocks, with carved eyes and a lacquer-and-gold-leaf finish. The deeply carved robes, stern expression, and powerful modeling from chest to abdomen show characteristic features of the Kamakura period while reflecting a central Japanese sculptural style. Few Jizo images of this large scale survive nationwide, and it remains a central object of worship at the temple.
Dainichiji
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
鳥取県倉吉市桜
Visiting Status Advance application required
RefinementPeacefulnessDepth
Dainichiji preserves a wooden seated Amida Nyorai designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The cypress image is 115 cm tall with a knee span of 91 cm and is constructed from joined blocks. An inscription dates it to 1226 in the Kamakura period, while its small, restrained facial features and overall modeling retain the style of the late Heian period. The temple also preserves a standing Yakushi Nyorai from around the middle to late Heian period, designated by Tottori Prefecture. Visitors wishing to view the images must apply to Dainichiji in advance.
Fudoin Iwayado
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
鳥取県八頭郡若桜町岩屋堂
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled during the goma ceremony on the last Sunday of March and July)
PowerMysteryTense Presence
The principal image of Fudoin Iwayado, an Important Cultural Property building constructed inside a natural rock cavern. Worshipped as the “Kurokawa Fudo” of Inaba, tradition attributes the image to Kobo Daishi Kukai at age 33. Architectural details such as the pillars, cusped windows, and altar indicate that the suspended hall dates to the Nanboku-cho period, and tradition says it alone survived warfare in 1581. The principal image is normally hidden and is unveiled during goma ceremonies on the last Sunday of March and July.
Gakugyoin
Buddhist Image Yakushi Nyorai, Nikko Bosatsu, Gakko Bosatsu, and Kisshoten Category Other
鳥取県鳥取市国府町松尾55
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required
SolemnityDepthStillness
Gakugyoin enshrines a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai with two attendant bodhisattvas and a wooden standing Kisshoten, all designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Temple tradition says Koryoji was established here in the Wado era and that these images survived the warfare of the Sengoku period. The principal Yakushi Nyorai was traditionally regarded as a sacred image whose face could be viewed only at an unveiling once every twelve years.
Naritasan Seiryuji
Buddhist Image Jikokuten and Tamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
鳥取県八頭郡八頭町下門尾46
Visiting Status Public viewing: Jan 1–3, Feb 3, Oct 8 (advance reservation normally required)
PowerDignityDepth
The wooden standing Jikokuten and Tamonten in Seiryuji’s Treasure Hall are Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Both are polychrome joined-wood statues from the Kamakura period and stand about one meter including their bases. An inscription inside Jikokuten dates the work to January 25, 1301 and names the sculptor Ryuen, making it an important dated example. Between them is a prefecturally designated seated Sho Kannon showing characteristics of the early-Kamakura Kei school, and the three images have been handed down together.
Gokurakuji
Buddhist Image Yakushi Nyorai, Nikko Bosatsu, and Gakko Bosatsu Category Other
鳥取県倉吉市八屋130
Visiting Status Open annually on September 7
GentlenessPeacefulnessRefinement
A Yakushi triad enshrined in Gokurakuji’s main hall. The central wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai is a Kurayoshi City-designated cultural property, about 91 cm tall and constructed from joined cypress blocks. Dating to the Heian period, its deep upper body retains an early-Heian character. The attendant standing Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu are Tottori Prefecture-designated cultural properties from the late Heian period, noted for gentle faces, smooth forms, and shallow, elegant drapery. The three images have been handed down together and are opened to the public each year on September 7.
Seto Kannonji
Buddhist Image Eleven-Headed Thousand-Armed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県東伯郡北栄町瀬戸963-2
Visiting Status Advance reservation required
SolemnityDepthStillness
Seto Kannonji enshrines a wooden standing Eleven-Headed Thousand-Armed Kannon, 157 cm tall and carved from a single cypress block, designated a Protected Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture. Tradition says that in 1713 local headmen petitioned Higashitakao Kannonji to invite a Kannon image and a hall was subsequently built. The statue is thought to be a companion work by the same sculptor as the two nationally designated Kannon images at Higashitakao Kannonji, making it one of the representative ancient Buddhist images of Hokuei, an area rich in Heian-period sculpture. Viewing requires advance reservation.
Hasedera
Buddhist Image Eleven-Headed Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県倉吉市仲ノ町2960
Visiting Status Normally open (inside the main hall 9:00–17:00)
MysteryStillnessDepth
Hasedera, halfway up Mount Utsubuki, enshrines an Eleven-Headed Kannon as its principal image, thought to date from around the Muromachi period. The large Zen-style shrine housing the image bears an inscription dated 1576 and is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The main hall projects southward in a suspended construction and preserves the typical plan of a medieval Buddhist hall. The temple is open year-round, with the interior of the main hall viewable from 9:00 to 17:00. Traditional worship continues today, including the annual Hasedera Go-o ceremony in February.
Mae Community
Buddhist Image Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
鳥取県西伯郡大山町前
Visiting Status Advance application required
PeacefulnessRefinementStillness
A wooden seated Amida Nyorai enshrined in the Buddhist hall of Mae community in Daisen. The 85.7 cm image is constructed from joined wood, with carved eyes and a lacquered surface. Its serene rounded face, softly rounded shoulders, and balanced proportions, together with shallow drapery and leg modeling, indicate a late-Heian date. Its refined technique and balance suggest a sculptor from the cultural center, and it is designated a Protected Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture. Viewing requires advance application to the head of Mae community.
Tenporinji
Buddhist Image Statue of Kuya Shonin Category Other
鳥取県東伯郡琴浦町別宮472
Visiting Status Open (advance application required for viewing)
WarmthDepthStillness
The principal image of Tenporinji is a wooden statue of Kuya Shonin shown as an itinerant ascetic, dressed in dark robes with a small gong at his chest, leaning forward on a staff. The 91 cm statue has crystal eyes and an inscription on the reverse of its chest board dating it to 1652; it is designated a Protected Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture. The temple also preserves another image of Kuya in a meditative post-death pose and a prefecturally designated wooden standing Amida Nyorai. Temple tradition says Kuya visited this place in 971 and died here the following year, and devotion to Kuya Shonin continues to this day. Advance application is required for viewing.
Tenporinji
Buddhist Image Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
鳥取県東伯郡琴浦町別宮472
Visiting Status Open (advance application required for viewing)
PeacefulnessDepthStillness
Tenporinji preserves a wooden standing Amida Nyorai. Temple tradition says that in 972 Emperor Enyu established a temple for the merit of Kuya Shonin, enshrining this Amida as the principal image with two statues of Kuya as attendants in a triad. Although a Kuya Shonin image is now the principal image, the standing Amida remains a Protected Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture. At a place associated with the tradition of Kuya’s death, the image embodies the close connection between devotion to Amida and devotion to Kuya. Advance application is required for viewing.
Chorakuji
Buddhist Image Standing Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
鳥取県日野郡日野町下榎875
Visiting Status Advance contact required
PowerTense PresenceDepth
The wooden standing Fudo Myoo in Chorakuji’s Treasure Repository is an Important Cultural Property of Japan, thought to date from the Heian period. Although Fudo is normally represented with a wrathful appearance, this image has a somewhat gentler expression and is also noted for the soft treatment of its robes. The same repository houses the Yakushi triad, Bishamonten, and Twelve Divine Generals, forming a remarkable group of Buddhist images. Advance contact is required for viewing.
Chorakuji
Buddhist Image Standing Bishamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
鳥取県日野郡日野町下榎875
Visiting Status Advance contact required
PowerDignitySolemnity
The wooden standing Bishamonten in Chorakuji’s Treasure Repository is an Important Cultural Property of Japan dating from the Heian period. It raises a pagoda in its left hand and stands powerfully upon a demon beneath its feet. Tottori Prefecture’s official site describes it as one of the finest surviving Bishamonten images in Japan. The same repository also contains the Yakushi triad, Fudo Myoo, and Twelve Divine Generals, allowing visitors to encounter a concentrated group of Heian- and Kamakura-period Buddhist sculpture. Advance contact is required for viewing.
Daiunin
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai, Kannon Bosatsu, Seishi Bosatsu, and Thirty-Three Kannon Images Category Other
鳥取県鳥取市立川町4-24
Visiting Status Normally open, 8:00–17:00 (admission ¥200)
SolemnityDepthPeacefulness
In Daiunin’s main hall, a large Amida triad stands at the center, surrounded along the rear of the outer sanctuary by thirty-three Kannon images representing the Saigoku Thirty-Three Pilgrimage. This unusual arrangement uses Buddhist images to evoke the Pure Land. Daiunin is also the 33rd and final temple of the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, and visitors can perform the Saigoku pilgrimage sand-stepping ritual at any time.
Maniji
Buddhist Image Taishakuten and Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Other
鳥取県鳥取市覚寺624
Visiting Status Normally open (9:30–16:30; kaidan-meguri ¥300)
MysterySolemnityStillness
Maniji is an ancient temple on the slope of Mount Mani. The temple’s official site identifies Taishakuten as the principal image, while Tottori City’s official tourism site identifies Thousand-Armed Kannon as the principal image and also notes the enshrinement of Taishakuten. Long revered across the Inaba region, the temple is reached by 303 stone steps. It remains an active site of mountain faith, with religious observances associated with Taishakuten continuing today.
Daisenji
Buddhist Image Two Bronze Standing Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県西伯郡大山町大山9
Visiting Status Open April–November, 9:00–17:00 (closed for winter from December 1 through March 31)
NobilityMysteryDepth
These are two of the three bronze standing Kannon images preserved at Daisenji, both designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. One is a Nara-period work, while the other is believed to have been brought from China and dates to the Northern Song dynasty. Preserved in Daisenji’s Reihokaku Treasure Museum, they form part of the temple’s group of early gilt-bronze Buddhist images. Together with the separately registered bronze standing Kannon and bronze standing Eleven-Headed Kannon, they offer a concentrated view of Daisenji’s historic Buddhist art.
Daisenji
Buddhist Image Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県西伯郡大山町大山9
Visiting Status Open April 1–November 30, 9:00–16:00 (hours may vary by season; worship offering requested)
SolemnityStillnessDepth
The principal image of Daisenji’s main hall is Jizo Bosatsu. The statue was transferred from the former main shrine during the Meiji-period separation of Buddhism and Shinto, preserving the history of Mount Daisen as a major center of Jizo devotion. The present wooden main hall was rebuilt in 1951 and is open from April through November, offering a distinct worship setting from the Amida Hall and Reihokaku Museum.
Daidenji
Buddhist Image Statue of Chujo-hime and Twenty-Five Amida-attendant Bodhisattvas Category Other
鳥取県東伯郡湯梨浜町引地509
Visiting Status Open once a year during the Kuhonsan ceremony and Neri-kuyo on the 14th–15th days of the third lunar month
MysterySolemnityDepth
Daidenji preserves a statue of Chujo-hime together with twenty-five bodhisattva images associated with Amida’s welcoming descent. The polychrome wooden Chujo-hime image is thought to date from the Muromachi period and is normally kept in a shrine in the main hall. During the annual Kuhonsan ceremony on the 14th and 15th days of the third lunar month, it is moved to a temporary hall as the ritual reenacts Chujo-hime being welcomed to the Pure Land by Amida and the twenty-five bodhisattvas.
Sairenji
Buddhist Image Large Standing Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
鳥取県東伯郡湯梨浜町橋津252
Visiting Status Normally viewable outdoors in the temple grounds (Jizo Bon held on August 23)
GentlenessSolemnityWarmth
A 5.5-meter stone standing Jizo Bosatsu rises in front of Sairenji’s main hall. It was erected in 1757 to memorialize more than seventy people who died during an epidemic in Hashizu, many of them children. The local Chomachi dance is still offered during Jizo Bon on August 23, preserving the community’s devotion. Because the statue stands outdoors, visitors can normally see and worship it throughout the year.