Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Unryuin Temple
Buddhist Image Yakushi Triad / Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市東山区泉涌寺山内町36
Visiting Status Regular viewing available / occasional closure days
StillnessPurityDepth
Unryuin, a branch temple of Sennyu-ji, enshrines a Yakushi Triad centered on Yakushi Nyorai in its Main Hall, Ryukaden. Also known as a sutra-copying temple associated with Emperor Go-Enyu, it combines prayers to Yakushi for relief from illness and suffering with the quiet refinement of a temple linked to the Imperial Family. As visitors move through spaces such as the Window of Enlightenment and the Lotus Room, they can experience a sense of purity and depth.
Shoren-in Monzeki Temple
Buddhist Image Shijoko Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市東山区粟田口三条坊町69-1
Visiting Status Main Hall open to visitors / principal image is secret; substitute image can be viewed
NobilityMysteryDignity
Shoren-in Monzeki’s Shijoko Hall enshrines Shijoko Nyorai as its principal deity. The principal image is a secret seed-syllable mandala, and visitors normally worship before a substitute image. Temples with Shijoko Nyorai as their principal deity are extremely rare, and within the noble atmosphere of this monzeki temple one can sense the depth of esoteric prayers intended to calm calamities.
Kosanji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区梅ヶ畑栂尾町8
Visiting Status Check before visiting
StillnessDepthPurity
The Kondo of Kosanji Temple enshrines a seated Shaka Nyorai as its principal image. Although Kosanji is widely known for the Choju-jinbutsu-giga scrolls and Sekisui-in, the quietly situated hall in the mountains preserves the temple’s central devotion to Shaka Nyorai. Surrounded by the nature of Toganoo, the site conveys the stillness and depth of a mountain temple more strongly than the splendor of its cultural treasures. Because the Kondo and its principal image are open only at limited times, visitors encounter a sacred center of the temple that is normally kept apart from everyday viewing.
Osorezan Sacred Site
Buddhist Image Enmei Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
青森県むつ市田名部宇曽利山3-2
Visiting Status Regular viewing available
DepthStillnessMystery
The Jizoden at Osorezan enshrines Enmei Jizo Bosatsu as its principal image. At Osorezan, Jizo is revered as a savior who relieves suffering in every realm from hell to heaven. Within this sacred place widely associated with memorial prayers for the dead, Jizoden is a central hall receiving the prayers of visitors. Set against the desolate landscapes of the hells and Sai-no-Kawara, it conveys profound stillness and mystery.
Kenninji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市東山区大和大路通四条下る小松町584
Visiting Status Regular viewing available
DignityRefinementStillness
The Hatto stands at the center of Kenninji’s temple complex. It enshrines Shaka Nyorai together with the attendant figures of Kasyapa and Ananda, forming the central devotional space of the Zen temple. Combined with the powerful Twin Dragons painted on the ceiling, the hall conveys a taut dignity within profound stillness.
Daigoji Temple
Buddhist Image Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
京都府京都市伏見区醍醐東大路町22
Visiting Status Kami-Daigo open for worship / interior viewing should be confirmed
StillnessMysteryPurity
Nyoirindo Hall at Kami-Daigo enshrines Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu as its principal image. Together with Junteido, the hall preserves the devotional traditions connected with the founding of Daigoji. Reached on foot high in the mountain, it has a stillness and mystery distinct from Shimo-Daigo, conveying the depth of Daigoji through a secluded place of prayer in the forested heights.
Ruriko-in Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市左京区上高野東山55
Visiting Status Viewing available only during special opening periods
PurityStillnessPeacefulness
Ruriko-in is a temple surrounded by the nature of Yase and is famous for views reflecting fresh green maple leaves and autumn colors. Its Main Hall enshrines a standing Amida Nyorai, traditionally dated to the Muromachi period, as the principal image. Although the beauty of the garden often draws the most attention, worshipping Amida reveals Ruriko-in as a place of prayer that evokes the Pure Land. The temple is open only during special viewing periods in spring, summer and autumn.
Ryoanji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
京都府京都市右京区龍安寺御陵下町13
Visiting Status Grounds open / Butsuden interior viewing should be confirmed
StillnessRefinementDepth
Ryoanji is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Myoshinji branch, world-famous for its rock garden. Although the Hojo garden makes the strongest impression, the grounds also include a Butsuden enshrining Shaka Nyorai as the principal image. After quietly contemplating the stone garden, turning one’s attention to the Butsuden reveals more deeply Ryoanji’s identity as a Zen temple.
Dainichibo Temple
Buddhist Image Yudonosan Daigongen (Ryobu Dainichi Nyorai) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
山形県鶴岡市大網字入道11
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors
MysteryTense PresenceDepth
Deeply connected with the worship of Mt. Yudono, Dainichibo is an old temple whose principal image is Sho Kannon Bosatsu. The temple also enshrines the sokushinbutsu Shinnyokai Shonin, revered as an ascetic who continued to pray for people in suffering. In the mountains of Shonai, this Buddhist spot conveys the weight of prayer and the hope for salvation.
Naritasan Sendai Branch Temple
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
宮城県仙台市青葉区荒巻字青葉33-2
Visiting Status Normally open (9:30–17:00) / Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
PowerDignitySolemnity
Located on the slopes of Aobayama in Sendai, this temple is the Sendai branch of Naritasan Shinshoji and belongs to the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism. The Main Hall enshrines Fudo Myoo brought from Naritasan Shinshoji, while the rooftop observation deck features a monumental 16.5-meter Fudo Myoo statue. Holding a sword and lasso, the powerful figure embodies the Wisdom King’s severity and compassion in cutting through worldly attachments and protecting and guiding people. With views over Sendai, visitors can experience both the tradition of goma fire rituals and the commanding presence of the giant image.
Daikanmitsuji Temple (Sendai Daikannon)
Buddhist Image Sendai Tendo Byakue Daikannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
宮城県仙台市泉区実沢中山南３１−３６
Visiting Status Interior open to visitors
DignitySolemnityMystery
This enormous 100-meter-tall White-Robed Kannon rises on a hill in Izumi Ward, Sendai. Inside are the Twelve Heavenly Generals, the Thirty-Three Kannon, and 108 Buddhist statues, while the upper levels reached by elevator offer views over Sendai and toward the Pacific Ocean. Its overwhelming presence in the city conveys both protective dignity and solemnity.
Honpukuji Head Temple
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o / Giant Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
佐賀県三養基郡基山町大字宮浦2120
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (some halls and hidden images are accessible only on designated opening days or during special programs; advance confirmation recommended)
PowerDignitySolemnity
The head temple of Komyo Nenbutsu Shingon Shoshu stands on the southern foot of Mt. Kizan. Fudo Myoo is enshrined in the Main Hall, while Zenpo Hall houses a vividly painted wooden Giant Fudo Myoo by Houn Nishida, measuring about 6 meters high and 7 meters wide. The grounds also include one of western Japan’s largest five-story pagodas and a circuit modeled on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, offering visitors a sacred landscape shaped by Shugendo practice.
Wada Daibutsu and Horizontal Cave Tombs
Buddhist Image Amida Nyorai (Traditional Attribution) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県須賀川市和田字大仏
Visiting Status Open for viewing at all times
MysteryStillnessDepth
Carved into a hillside rock face on the west bank of the Abukuma River, this cliff-carved image stands about 3.6 meters high. It is traditionally identified as Amida Nyorai, though another theory identifies it as Dainichi Nyorai, and the weathered form bears the passage of long centuries. Around twenty horizontal cave tombs from the end of the Kofun period remain nearby, bringing an ancient burial landscape and medieval Buddhist devotion together on the same rock face. The image was also once worshiped by people praying for sufficient breast milk, reflecting its deep ties to local life.
Ayashi Daibutsu, Bukkokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Ayashi Daibutsu Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
宮城県仙台市青葉区芋沢字大竹原49-1
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (check before visiting)
DignityPeacefulnessWarmth
At Bukkokuji Temple on a hill in Aoba Ward, Sendai, the approximately 16-meter Ayashi Daibutsu faces due south over the town of Ayashi. Erected in 2002, it is revered as a guardian image watching over the Jodo mausoleum and Ayashi-no-Oka cemetery. Surrounded by flowers and greenery, visitors can ride the slope car “Namu Namu-go” from the parking area to the statue, experiencing both the dignity of its immense scale and its welcoming connection to the local community.
Prayer Village Aizu Mura (Hokkokuji Aizu Betsuin)
Buddhist Image Aizu Jibo Daikannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福島県会津若松市河東町浅山字堂ヶ入7
Visiting Status Normally open (Apr–Nov 9:00–16:00; Dec–Mar 10:00–16:00 / Last admission 15:00; temporary closures possible)
GentlenessPeacefulnessDignity
The 57-meter Aizu Jibo Daikannon stands at Prayer Village Aizu Mura, overlooking the Aizu Basin and Mt. Bandai. Built as a prayer for world peace, it became the symbol of the “Village of Prayer” opened in 1986, embracing visitors with a motherly expression of compassion. Inside the statue are a Thousand-Armed Kannon and Buddhist images from across Asia, allowing visitors to worship within the giant Kannon itself. Operated as Hokkokuji Aizu Betsuin, where Buddhist services and prayers are also held, it combines contemporary devotion with the presence of a regional landmark.
Kaiganzan Fumonji Temple
Buddhist Image Attributed Seated Sho Kannon Bosatsu / Bronze Great Buddha / Five Hundred Arhats Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岩手県陸前高田市米崎町字地竹沢181
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (confirm viewing procedures and events in advance)
StillnessDepthPeacefulness
Fumon-ji is an old Soto Zen temple in Rikuzentakata, Iwate, traditionally founded in 1241 and established at its present site as a Soto temple in 1504. The grounds include an Iwate Prefecture-designated wooden seated image attributed to Sho Kannon Bosatsu, a three-story pagoda, and a bronze Great Buddha. They also contain the Five Hundred Arhats created in memory of victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and many other Buddhist images donated after the disaster. Ancient Kannon devotion and contemporary prayers of remembrance quietly overlap here.
Kumanozan Kosaiji Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Seated Amida Nyorai (Miyo Daibutsu) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県いわき市鹿島町御代字寺ノ入44
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (check the official website or temple before visiting)
GentlenessPeacefulnessWarmth
The open-air bronze seated Amida Nyorai known as the Miyo Daibutsu stands at Kumanozan Kousaiji Temple in Iwaki and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by the city. Believed to date from 1778, the statue is 2.76 meters high and 3.63 meters including its pedestal. Its elongated face bears a faint smile, while inscriptions on the pedestal record the circumstances of its creation, its makers, and donors. Damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake and later restored with local support, it carries forward a tradition of faith and communal prayer dating back to the Edo period.
Forest of Life Overlooking the Sea
Buddhist Image Minamisanriku Daibutsu Category Other
宮城県本吉郡南三陸町志津川黒崎99-17（南三陸ホテル観洋敷地内）
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (check weather and local conditions due to the mountain trail)
PeacefulnessStillnessPurity
This white marble Great Buddha overlooks Shizugawa Bay from the disaster memorial site known as the Forest of Life Overlooking the Sea in Minamisanriku. Donated in 2019 by a benefactor from Myanmar out of a wish to memorialize victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was consecrated in ceremonies following both Myanmar and Japanese traditions. The statue stands about 5 meters high including its pedestal. Embodying three wishes—repose for the dead, freedom from fear, and fulfillment of aspirations—it is a contemporary Buddhist spot that conveys prayer for disaster victims and peace for those living today.
Fukujuzan Daikokuden Myohoji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Statue Commemorating the Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福島県いわき市川部町大沢57
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (check the official website or temple before visiting)
PeacefulnessPowerSolemnity
This Shakyamuni statue stands in the grounds of Fukujuzan Daikokuden Myōhō-ji Temple in Kawabe, Iwaki, as a memorial to the Great East Japan Earthquake. It was erected to pray for those who died on March 11, 2011, for the swift recovery of the town, and for peace in the hearts of parishioners and devotees. Gleaming gold beneath the open sky, the figure expresses prayer that looks toward the future while carrying the memory of loss. The grounds also contain a memorial to freestyle motocross rider Eigo Sato, making the temple a place that receives and preserves community memory.
Ryomozan Jichiin Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
山形県酒田市日吉町1丁目4-38
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (check the official website or temple before visiting)
DignitySolemnityDepth
The 17-meter bronze standing statue known as the Sakata Daibutsu rises in the grounds of Ryomozan Jichi-in Temple in Sakata, Yamagata. It was conceived to mourn victims of the 1894 Shonai earthquake and those who died from illness or wounds in the First Sino-Japanese War, and was erected in 1914 as an image of Shakyamuni Buddha. The original statue was requisitioned for metal during World War II, but it was rebuilt in 1992. Watching over Sakata, the great figure conveys the depth of prayers carried across generations through disaster and war.