Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Hosenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Statue Traditionally Identified as Yakushi Nyorai (now Shaka Nyorai) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岡山県井原市西江原町4841
Visiting Status Advance contact required (contact Hosenji; visit takes about 1 hour including explanation)
StillnessDepthNobility
Preserved at Hosenji, this seated wooden image is an Okayama Prefecture-designated Important Cultural Property. It measures 51.5 cm and is carved from a single block of hinoki cypress; the side of the head retains features of early-to-middle Heian-period sculpture. Temple tradition identifies it as Yakushi Nyorai, but its meditation mudra indicates Shaka Nyorai, and it was restored as a Shaka image in 1955. Viewing requires advance contact, with an approximately one-hour guided visit that also introduces other cultural properties at the temple.
Anyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岡山県倉敷市浅原1573
Visiting Status On permanent view at Jogan Hall (9:00–17:00)
NobilityRefinementStillness
This gilt-bronze standing Buddha is the principal image of Anyoji and an Important Cultural Property designated by Okayama Prefecture. It measures 92.0 cm in height and weighs 56.0 kg. Its faint smile, absence of the three conventional neck lines, and a single incised line on the robe preserve archaic features; material analysis also indicates an early Nara-period date. It is regarded as an exceptional gilt-bronze Buddhist image in Okayama and an important work in the history of Japanese sculpture. It is on permanent view at Jogan Hall from 9:00 to 17:00.
Bitchu Kokubunji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Jizo Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岡山県総社市上林1046
Visiting Status Displayed in the Main Hall every year during Golden Week
WarmthPeacefulnessStillness
This wooden standing Jizo Bosatsu, designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture, is enshrined in the Main Hall of Bitchu Kokubunji. The 106 cm figure is made using joined-block construction and is thought to have originally been painted, with traces of the ground layer still remaining. It is dated to the late Heian to early Kamakura period. Jizo has long been one of the most familiar bodhisattvas in popular devotion, and this historic image has been preserved at one of the best-known temples of the Kibiji area. It is displayed every year during Golden Week.
Goryu Sonryuin
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岡山県倉敷市林952
Visiting Status Temple grounds open to visitors (9:00–17:00; no regular closing days)
WarmthStillnessDepth
This wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon at Goryu Sonryuin is designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture. Constructed from several joined pieces of wood, the figure has a somewhat rigid upright stance that gives it a rustic and restrained character. It is believed to date from the Kamakura period or later and to have been made by a local sculptor. The image represents the Buddhist sculptural heritage of Goryu Sonryuin, a historic center of Shugendo. The temple is open from 9:00 to 17:00 with no regular closing days, and the statue is introduced as one of the highlights for visitors.
Seisuiji Temple
Buddhist Image Nio Guardians (Kongo Rikishi, Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
岡山県真庭市関4849
Visiting Status Viewable through the lattice; the gate can be opened on request to the temple
PowerDignityTense Presence
Two Nio guardian statues are enshrined in the gate of Seisuiji Temple and designated Important Cultural Properties by Okayama Prefecture. The Agyo figure is 198.0 cm tall and the Ungyo figure 199.3 cm; both are joined-wood sculptures with carved eyes. Their raised brows, wide-open eyes, wrathful expressions, and strongly modeled chest muscles create a powerful sense of movement. Although much of the original coloring has been lost, they are considered striking works of the Muromachi period. They can normally be viewed through the lattice, and the temple may open the gate on request.
Anyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Bronze Standing Birth Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岡山県倉敷市浅原1573
Visiting Status On permanent view at Jogan Hall (9:00–17:00)
PurityWarmthMystery
This bronze standing image of the newborn Shaka Buddha was excavated from the sutra-mound complex behind Anyoji and is designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture. About 17 cm tall, it depicts the newborn Buddha pointing to heaven with the right hand and to the earth with the left. Details such as the lower garment and separately cast right arm indicate a date from the late Nara to early Heian period. It is regarded as the oldest surviving birth-Buddha image in Okayama Prefecture and has a striking presence despite its small size. It can be viewed at Jogan Hall from 9:00 to 17:00.
Saidaiji Kannon-in Temple
Buddhist Image Shomen Kongo Category Other
岡山県岡山市東区西大寺中3-8-8
Visiting Status Unveiled every year from January 1 to 14 (special New Year viewing, free admission)
MysteryTense PresencePower
Shomen Kongo is a hidden deity enshrined in the Gooshoden Hall of Saidaiji Kannon-in. Revered in Koshin belief as a protector against epidemics, the figure has a blue-green body and six arms holding implements such as a bow, arrows, and sword. One hand grasps a nearly naked female figure called Shokera, symbolizing the Three Corpses of Daoist belief. With hair standing on end, snakes coiled around the body, and demons trampled beneath the feet, the image has an extraordinary and highly charged presence. Normally hidden from view, it is unveiled free of charge every year from January 1 to 14.
Jifukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Jizo Bosatsu with Two Attendants Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
岡山県笠岡市笠岡659
Visiting Status Unveiled once a year on August 13 during Jizo Bon
WarmthMysteryPeacefulness
The principal image of Jifukuji is a wooden Jizo Bosatsu with an unusual pair of attendants described in the Enmei Jizo Bosatsu Sutra. To the viewer's right stands Shozen, shown with a white body and a white lotus, while Shoaku on the left has a red body and holds a vajra. The pair resembles the attendant youths of Fudo Myoo and is also understood as expressing a close identity between Jizo and Fudo. Inside the wooden image is a stone Jizo said by tradition to have been carved by Kobo Daishi Kukai. Normally hidden from view, the image is unveiled once a year on August 13 during Jizo Bon.
Kiyamaji Temple
Buddhist Image Kobo Daishi Statue (Nichirin Daishi) Category Other
岡山県真庭市木山1212
Visiting Status Daishi Hall opens on the 21st of every month and on June 15 for closer viewing
MysteryNobilityStillness
Enshrined in Kiyamaji's Daishi Hall, this unusual image of Kobo Daishi is known as Nichirin Daishi. Instead of the five-pronged vajra commonly held by Kobo Daishi images, the figure holds a pagoda, sits on a lotus pedestal, and is backed by a sun-disc halo representing the Komyo Shingon mantra. The Daishi Hall was built in 1717 and once served as Kiyamaji's main hall. The temple can normally be visited, and on the 21st of each month and on June 15 the hall doors are opened so visitors can see Nichirin Daishi more closely.
Senjuin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
岡山県井原市野上町971
Visiting Status Advance reservation by phone required
SolemnityDepthStillness
This wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai at Senjuin is designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture. Made of joined hinoki wood, it is a full-scale jo-roku seated image from the early Kamakura period, measuring about 2.4 meters in height. The lacquer, gilding, and coloring on the surface are later additions, and an inscription inside the statue records repairs carried out in 1785. It is one of the few surviving examples of a jo-roku Buddha image in Okayama Prefecture. Viewing inside the temple requires advance reservation by phone.
Yamazaki Six Jizo Cliff Carvings
Buddhist Image Six Jizo and Fudo Myo-o Cliff Carvings (Seven Figures) Category Bodhisattva / Wisdom King
岡山県総社市下原
Visiting Status Viewable outdoors at all times (exterior only)
WarmthDepthStillness
This group of cliff-carved Buddhist images at the foot of Mt. Iyobe in Shimobara, Soja, is designated an Important Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture. The granite face is divided into three sections, each containing two standing Jizo figures, for a total of six, with a seated Fudo Myoo carved slightly apart. Each Jizo is about 43 cm tall, holding a staff in the right hand and a wish-fulfilling jewel in the left. Inscriptions between the figures date the six Jizo to August 1398 and name Dosho as the principal donor. These rustic yet powerful stone images preserve the atmosphere of medieval Buddhist devotion and can be viewed outdoors.
Gionji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Thousand-Armed Kannon with Two Attendants Category Bodhisattva / Wisdom King / Deva
岡山県高梁市巨瀬町2674
Visiting Status Unveiled once a year around the summer festival (August 22 in 2026)
GentlenessSolemnityDepth
The principal ensemble at Gionji consists of a standing Thousand-Armed Kannon and two attendant figures, designated Important Cultural Properties by Takahashi City. The central Kannon is a 170 cm joined-wood figure with 42 arms—two central hands and 20 on each side—symbolically representing a thousand arms. An inscription on the soles records repairs in 1555, while the gentle face and drapery retain the character of late Heian sculpture. Fudo Myoo and Bishamonten flank the Kannon, forming a tightly unified triad. Normally kept hidden, the images are unveiled once a year around the summer festival; in 2026 the unveiling took place on August 22.
Daisho-in Temple
Buddhist Image Namikiri Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
広島県廿日市市宮島町210
Visiting Status Open daily (8:00–17:00)
PowerDignitySolemnity
Namikiri Fudo Myoo, the principal image of Daisho-in, is enshrined in Chokugando Hall, the temple’s main hall. According to temple tradition, Toyotomi Hideyoshi prayed to this image for safety at sea and victory during the Bunroku campaign (1592–1596), and made it the guardian Buddhist image of his warship Takaramaru. Goma fire rituals are still performed before the image, which can be worshipped during the temple’s opening hours from 8:00 to 17:00.
Daisho-in Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
広島県廿日市市宮島町210
Visiting Status Open daily (8:00–17:00)
GentlenessNobilitySolemnity
The Eleven-Faced Kannon Bosatsu enshrined in Daisho-in’s Kannon Hall is traditionally attributed to Gyoki. It was originally worshipped as the honji-butsu, or Buddhist manifestation, of Itsukushima Shrine and was moved to Daisho-in following the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era. The image is also associated with the faith of Taira no Kiyomori and the Taira clan, preserving the history of syncretic worship on Miyajima. It can be worshipped during the temple’s opening hours from 8:00 to 17:00.
Daiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Itsukushima Benzaiten Category Tenbu (Deva)
広島県廿日市市宮島町3
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled annually on June 17, approx. 11:30–16:00)
MysteryNobilitySolemnity
Itsukushima Benzaiten, the principal image of Daiganji, is enshrined in the Main Hall and is traditionally attributed to Kobo Daishi Kukai. It is counted among Japan’s three great Benzaiten images, together with those of Enoshima and Chikubushima. Before the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism, it was enshrined in the main sanctuary of Itsukushima Shrine and was moved to Daiganji around 1868. Normally kept concealed within its shrine, it is unveiled only once a year during the Itsukushima Benzaiten Grand Festival on June 17, approximately from 11:30 to 16:00.
Daiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Half-Seated Fudo Myo-o Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
広島県廿日市市宮島町3
Visiting Status Open daily (Gomado Hall is open year-round, 8:30–17:00)
PowerDignitySolemnity
This large half-seated Fudo Myoo is enshrined in Daiganji’s Gomado Hall. It was carved by Kyoto-based Buddhist sculptor Matsumoto Myokei for the reconstruction of the hall, which had been lost in the early Meiji era, and was consecrated in April 2006. Made entirely from Indian sandalwood, the statue stands about 4.8 meters high. The Gomado Hall is open year-round, and a service dedicated to Fudo Myoo is held on the 28th of each month.
Daiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
広島県廿日市市宮島町3
Visiting Status Open daily (Main Hall, 8:30–17:00)
PeacefulnessPuritySolemnity
The seated Yakushi Nyorai in Daiganji’s Main Hall is one of four Buddhist images there designated as National Important Cultural Properties and is traditionally attributed to Kobo Daishi Kukai. It was originally enshrined in Miyajima’s Tahoto Pagoda and was moved to Daiganji following the Meiji-era separation of Shinto and Buddhism. It can now be viewed in the Main Hall during visiting hours from 8:30 to 17:00.
Fudoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Nio Guardians (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
広島県広島市東区牛田新町3-4-9
Visiting Status Always open to view
PowerDignityTense Presence
Two wooden Nio guardian statues stand on either side of Fudoin’s Romon Gate. An ink inscription inside the figures records that they were made in 1294 at the request of the monk Kaiken, by a team of five Buddhist sculptors led by Shochibo. Both are joined-wood sculptures of hinoki cypress with crystal eyes and stand about 280 cm tall. Rare examples of Nio images retaining dated inscriptions from the Kamakura period, they are designated Important Cultural Properties of Hiroshima Prefecture and are always on view at the gate.
Senkoji Temple
Buddhist Image Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
広島県尾道市東土堂町15-1
Visiting Status Hidden image (unveiled once every 33 years; last unveiling in 2013)
MysteryNobilitySolemnity
The principal image of Senkoji’s Main Hall is the Thousand-Armed Kannon Bosatsu, traditionally attributed to Prince Shotoku. Long revered as the “Kannon who protects against fire,” it is now worshipped for the fulfillment of many kinds of wishes. Normally kept hidden, the image is unveiled once every 33 years; the most recent unveiling was in 2013. The Main Hall itself can be visited daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
Jodoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
広島県尾道市東久保町20-28
Visiting Status Viewable during special viewing (reception 9:00–15:30; may be unavailable during services or events)
PeacefulnessRefinementStillness
The wooden seated Amida Nyorai is enshrined in Jodoji’s Amida Hall. Dating to 1404 in the Muromachi period, it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Hiroshima Prefecture. Jodoji preserves a wide range of Buddhist sculptures from the Heian through Muromachi periods, and most works other than hidden images can normally be viewed in its halls or treasure museum. The inner sanctuary of the Amida Hall is included in special viewing, with reception from 9:00 to 15:30; access may be unavailable during religious services or other events.