Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Toyogahashi Eitokuji Temple
Buddhist Image Onnojuku Daishi (Reclining Kobo Daishi Statue) Category Other
愛媛県大洲市東大洲1808
Visiting Status Viewable beneath the bridge during ordinary visits; check local conditions during high water
WarmthDepthStillness
Beneath Toyogahashi Bridge beside Eitokuji, Temple No. 8 on the Shikoku Bekkaku Twenty-Temple Pilgrimage, a statue called Onnojuku Daishi depicts Kobo Daishi lying beneath a blanket. According to temple tradition, he had nowhere to stay while traveling through the area and spent a night under the bridge, pondering how to help suffering people. That one night felt as long as ten, giving the bridge its name. Pilgrims traditionally avoid tapping their staffs on the bridge so as not to awaken him. The statue's date, sculptor and cultural-property designation have not been established. Pilgrims still descend beneath the bridge to pray before the distinctive reclining figure. After flooding in 2018, the temple rebuilt its main hall in May 2024 and resumed normal visits. As the site is beside a river, avoid going beneath the bridge during high water.
Yasakaji Temple
Buddhist Image Mantai Amida: Approximately 8,000 Donated Amida Nyorai Images Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛媛県松山市浄瑠璃町773
Visiting Status Viewable in the main hall basement (confirm basement access hours; stamp office 7:00–17:00)
SolemnityMysteryDepth
At Yasakaji, Temple No. 47 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, approximately 8,000 images of Amida Buddha donated by believers from across Japan fill the basement of the main hall. Known as Mantai Amida, this remarkable gathering of images can be seen by descending stairs beside the main hall. Many are small ceramic figures, reportedly arranged by their donors' prefectures, and together express countless individual prayers for rebirth in Amida's Pure Land. Pilgrims have documented entering and photographing the basement. The dates and makers of the individual offerings are not established, and these images must not be confused with the temple's separately enshrined prefecturally designated Important Cultural Property, a wooden Amida Buddha revealed only once every 50 years. The temple's stamp office operates from 7:00 to 17:00, but the basement's exact access hours should be checked beforehand.
Sho Yakushido Hall (Managed by Jurinji Temple)
Buddhist Image Two Standing Bodhisattvas: Wood-Core Dry Lacquer and Carved Wood (National Important Cultural Properties) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛媛県松山市庄810
Visiting Status Advance telephone reservation essential; Jurinji Temple (089-992-3658) unlocks the unattended storehouse
PowerMysteryDepth
Two imposing standing Bodhisattva statues, thought to date from the early Heian period, are preserved in a storehouse beside Sho Yakushido Hall amid the rural Hojo area of Matsuyama. Both are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. One is a rare wood-core dry-lacquer figure, with lacquer built up over a wooden core to model its youthful, Nara-period-inspired face. The other, approximately 215 cm tall, was carved from a single block of wood and displays a powerful twisting pose and deeply carved drapery. Rediscovered at the local hall in the 1960s, the statues were designated in 1965. The neighboring hall also contains an immense late-Muromachi Yakushi Buddha and a group of 43 historic Buddhist images, revealing the region's long history of Buddhist sculpture. The storehouse is normally locked and unattended. Arrange viewing in advance by calling its caretaker, Jurinji Temple, at 089-992-3658. A documented visit in June 2025 confirms that the priest opened the storehouse for visitors.
Sho Bishamondo Hall (Managed by Jurinji Temple)
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Tobatsu Bishamonten (Vaisravana), Prefectural Cultural Property Category Tenbu (Deva)
愛媛県松山市庄甲810
Visiting Status Viewable through the hall's glass doors; reserve interior viewing with Jurinji Temple (089-992-3658)
DignityPowerDepth
Sho Bishamondo in Matsuyama preserves a striking 182 cm wooden Tobatsu Bishamonten, carved from a single kaya wood block and thought to date to the 10th or 11th century. Unlike the familiar form of Bishamonten trampling demons, this unusual guardian stands upright on the palms of an earth deity. He wears close-fitting armor and a three-sided crown, with raised brows and glaring eyes creating a formidable expression. Although his hands and nose are lost, the massive body retains the compelling weight of early Japanese single-block carving. The statue was designated an Ehime Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property on November 1, 1962. Local worshippers have protected it for generations. Visitors can view it through the glass doors of the small hall immediately south of Jurinji, while access inside requires a prior telephone appointment with the caretaker temple.
Maegamiji Temple
Buddhist Image Three Images of Ishizuchisan Zao Daigongen Category Other
愛媛県西条市洲之内甲1426
Visiting Status Unveiled on the 20th of each month; reports differ between 19:30 and 20:00. Confirm the ceremony, especially during July's mountain opening.
DignityMysterySolemnity
At Maegamiji, head temple of the Shingon Ishizuchi school and Temple No. 64 on the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, three images of Ishizuchisan Zao Daigongen embody the meeting of mountain worship and Buddhism. Normally hidden, the images are unveiled at a monthly evening rite on the 20th. During the ceremony, worshippers may have an image brought into contact with an afflicted part of their body while praying for recovery, an unusually direct expression of living faith. Zao Gongen is a syncretic mountain deity closely tied to the ascetic founder En no Gyoja and the Ishizuchi tradition. The images' dates, artists and heritage status have not been established. During the annual July 1–10 mountain opening, they are traditionally taken to Oku-Maegamiji high on Mount Ishizuchi, so they may be absent from the lower temple. Published start times differ between 19:30 and 20:00; confirm both timing and participation arrangements before visiting.
Kounji Temple (Imo Jizo)
Buddhist Image Imo Jizo (Sweet Potato Jizo, Stone Ksitigarbha Bosatsu) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
愛媛県今治市上浦町瀬戸1754
Visiting Status Accessible all day, year-round, free (on a hill beyond the cemetery; stone steps)
WarmthGentlenessDepth
On a small hill above Kounji Temple on Omishima Island stands an extraordinary little stone Jizo Bodhisattva holding sweet potatoes in both hands. Called Imo Jizo, the figure honors Asami Kichijuro (1673–1755), who is remembered for bringing sweet potato plants from Satsuma to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea during the Edo period. The new crop is said to have helped islanders survive a devastating famine. The roughly 50 cm figure is worshipped in a small hall beyond the temple cemetery, beside a large camphor tree. It is a rare, deeply human expression of a benefactor being revered as a compassionate Jizo. The place is an Ehime Prefectural Historic Site, though this designation is not a national Important Cultural Property status for the statue itself. Imabari City's official tourism guide confirms free, year-round, all-day access and parking for five vehicles. A memorial observance takes place in autumn.
Hozōji Shakado (Shakyamuni Hall)
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
愛媛県今治市玉川町桂乙239
Visiting Status Hidden image, reportedly unveiled on April 8 each year for the Flower Festival; otherwise closed. Confirm the ceremony with Hōzōji (0898-55-2183).
RefinementSolemnityMystery
The wooden Standing Shakyamuni in a separate mountain hall associated with Hozoji is among Ehime's outstanding Kamakura-period sculptures. Standing 163.6 cm tall and carved from chinaberry wood, the figure follows the Seiryoji style, with rope-like curls and beautifully rippling robes. A dated inscription discovered inside during repairs in 1939 establishes that the Buddhist sculptor Kokei made it in 1268. It has been a nationally designated Important Cultural Property since 1936. The image is reportedly unveiled at the Shakado Flower Festival each April 8 and is not otherwise on public view. Its hall stands high on Mount Shakagatake, separate from Hozoji's village temple; visiting the main temple does not provide access to this statue. The approach features red Buddhist banners and requires walking up a mountain path. Confirm the event, viewing hours and hiking arrangements with the temple before traveling.
Chikurinji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Daiitoku Myo-o Statue Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
高知県高知市五台山3577
Visiting Status Viewable in the Treasure Hall (8:30–17:00; last admission 16:30; occasional closures for events)
DignitySolemnityMystery
Enshrined in the Treasure Hall of Chikurinji, Temple No. 31 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, this wooden statue of Daiitoku Myoo dates to the Kamakura period. It stands 145.3 cm high and is made of joined Japanese cypress wood. The deity has six faces, six arms and six legs and rides a water buffalo. Although its face is wrathful, its softly modeled body retains the gentle style of the late Heian period. The three faces grouped together above the head are another distinctive feature. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1911, the statue can be viewed in the Treasure Hall, unlike the temple's principal, concealed Monju Bosatsu image.
Kiyotakiji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Yakushi Nyorai for Protection from Misfortune Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県土佐市高岡町丁568-1
Visiting Status Viewable in the temple grounds (outdoors; temple stamp-office hours 8:00–17:00)
PowerSolemnityPeacefulness
Standing in front of the main hall at Kiyotakiji, Temple No. 35 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, this large Yakushi Nyorai statue is revered for protection from misfortune. It stands about 15 m tall including its pedestal. A local paper manufacturer donated it in 1933. Inside the pedestal, visitors can follow an 88-step passage for devotional circumambulation. The prominent statue remains a focus of prayer in the mountainside precinct. It is separate from the temple's late-Heian wooden principal Yakushi statue, which is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Kongochoji Temple
Buddhist Image Concealed Yakushi Nyorai Statue Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県室戸市元乙523
Visiting Status Concealed image (unveiled annually from December 31 to January 8)
MysteryStillnessSolemnity
This Yakushi Nyorai is the principal image of Kongochoji, Temple No. 26 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, also known locally as the 'West Temple' of Muroto. Temple tradition holds that Kobo Daishi carved it in 807 at the request of Emperor Heizei and founded the temple. Normally housed in a shrine inside the main hall, it has been a concealed image since the temple's foundation, but is unveiled each year from December 31 through January 8. Visitors can see the principal image during this limited period at the pilgrimage site overlooking the sea. It is distinct from the temple's wooden Amida statue designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Zenjibuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Kongo Rikishi Guardians (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
高知県南国市十市3084
Visiting Status Viewable from in front of the Nio Gate (check temple visiting hours)
PowerDignityTense Presence
At Zenjibuji, Temple No. 32 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage overlooking Tosa Bay, the wooden Kongo Rikishi guardians Agyo and Ungyo stand in the Nio Gate. These forceful gatekeepers date to the Kamakura period and are traditionally attributed to the Buddhist sculptor Jomyo. They were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 1911. Distinct from the temple's principal Eleven-faced Kannon, revered for safety at sea, the figures can be approached and viewed from the path. The rocky hilltop precinct adds to the setting.
Chikurinji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Seishi Bosatsu Statue Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
高知県高知市五台山3577
Visiting Status Viewable in the Treasure Hall (8:30–17:00; last admission 16:30; occasional event closures)
GentlenessRefinementStillness
This wooden standing Seishi Bosatsu statue is housed in the Treasure Hall of Chikurinji, Temple No. 31 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Made in the late Heian period, it stands 106.8 cm tall and is carved from joined Japanese cypress wood with lacquer and gold leaf. The figure bends its right knee slightly, leans forward and joins its hands in prayer at chest height. It originally accompanied Amida in a welcoming triad, but the central Amida and the matching Kannon figure are now lost. Its gentle face, slender body and shallow, flowing drapery reflect the refined Jocho style. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1911, it can be viewed in the Treasure Hall; its prayerful gesture is particularly striking.
Kongofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image 108 Buddha Figures (Five Wisdom Buddhas, Thirteen Buddhas, Thousand-armed Kannon and Others) Category Other
高知県土佐清水市足摺岬214-1
Visiting Status Viewable in the outdoor temple grounds (confirm visiting hours)
SolemnityMysteryPeacefulness
At Kongofukuji, Temple No. 38 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, a group of 108 Buddhist figures is arranged behind the main hall and around the garden. The group includes the Five Wisdom Buddhas, the Thirteen Buddhas, Thousand-armed Kannon and other sacred figures. With temple buildings and statues reflected in a pond edged by Tosa five-color stones, the garden evokes a mandala. On Cape Ashizuri overlooking the Pacific, visitors can walk among the figures and worship them individually outdoors. Temple tradition attributes its founding to Kobo Daishi, but the dates and makers of these 108 figures have not been confirmed.
Sekkeiji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Bishamonten Triad (Bishamonten, Kisshoten and Zennishi Doji) Category Tenbu (Deva)
高知県高知市長浜857-3
Visiting Status Advance reservation required for viewing the statues (confirm dates and availability with the temple)
DignityRefinementWarmth
This Kamakura-period wooden triad at Sekkeiji, Temple No. 33 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, depicts Bishamonten, Kisshoten and Zennishi Doji. Made from joined Japanese cypress with crystal eyes, the figures measure 168.0 cm, 79.7 cm and 71.2 cm, respectively. During repairs in 1918, an ink inscription naming Tankei was found on the tenon of Bishamonten's left foot, identifying the sculptor as Unkei's eldest son. Thought to date from around 1225, the group contrasts Bishamonten's stern features, Kisshoten's refined bearing and the child's endearing upward glance with tilted head. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1911, the statues require advance booking to view.
Sekkeiji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Yakushi Triad (Yakushi Nyorai, Nikko Bosatsu and Gakko Bosatsu) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県高知市長浜857-3
Visiting Status Advance reservation required for viewing the statues (confirm dates and availability with the temple)
RefinementPeacefulnessSolemnity
This Kamakura-period Yakushi triad is preserved at Sekkeiji, Temple No. 33 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. The central seated Yakushi Nyorai is 139.5 cm tall; the standing attendants Nikko Bosatsu and Gakko Bosatsu are 174.6 cm and 174.1 cm. All three are made of joined Japanese cypress wood, with crystal eyes and lacquered gold leaf. Yakushi has a bright, gentle expression, relaxed posture and naturally carved drapery, reflecting the realistic style of the Kei school. Tradition attributes the figures to Unkei late in his career, though the attribution is not certain. They were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 1911. Advance booking is required to view the temple's Buddhist statues, which also include a Bishamonten triad by Tankei.
Tanemaji Temple
Buddhist Image Concealed Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai Statue Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県高知市春野町秋山72
Visiting Status Concealed image (unveiled annually January 1–3 and March 8)
DignityPeacefulnessSolemnity
The principal image of Tanemaji, Temple No. 34 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, is a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai with a solid, full-bodied form and dignified expression. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. According to temple tradition, craftspeople from Baekje who escaped a storm off Tosa carved it as a prayer for safe voyages, and Kobo Daishi later enshrined it as the principal image; this tradition does not establish its actual maker or date. Revered as the Yakushi of safe childbirth, the temple continues a childbirth prayer ritual involving a ladle with its bottom removed. Normally concealed, the image is unveiled each year on January 1–3 and March 8.
Burakuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi, Shaka and Amida Nyorai Statues Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県長岡郡大豊町寺内314
Visiting Status Advance reservation required (interior viewing 9:00–16:00, ¥500)
SolemnityStillnessDepth
On the altar inside Burakuji's Yakushi Hall in the mountains of Otoyo, a seated Yakushi Nyorai occupies the center, flanked by a seated Shaka Nyorai to the left and Amida Nyorai to the right. These three Heian-period Buddhist figures are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan; seven Important Cultural Property statues are enshrined in the hall in total. An inscription dated 1151 inside the Shaka image provides a clue to the hall's construction date. The Yakushi Hall itself is a National Treasure and a rare surviving example of wooden architecture from the Heian period in Shikoku. Viewing the statues inside requires advance booking (9:00–16:00, ¥500), while viewing the building exterior requires no reservation.
Jofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Statue Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県長岡郡大豊町粟生158
Visiting Status Main hall open for worship; inner sanctuary viewing offered after attending the 7:00 morning service (confirm in advance)
PeacefulnessStillnessRefinement
The wooden seated Amida Nyorai is the principal image of Jofukuji, a temple in the mountain village of Otoyo. This late-Heian statue is dated by the temple to the Ninpei era (1151–1153) and is designated a Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property (sculpture). Yakushi Nyorai and Jizo Bosatsu stand among the images beside it; Fudo Myoo and Bishamonten are also enshrined in the main hall. Jofukuji holds a morning service at 7:00 every day and offers attendees a viewing of the inner sanctuary afterward. Visitors can encounter this Heian Buddhist image within the temple's continuing practice of worship.
Jofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Six Wooden Standing Jizo Bosatsu Statues (Smiling Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
高知県長岡郡大豊町粟生158
Visiting Status Viewable in the Treasure Hall (8:00–17:00, ¥100 admission; closed over New Year)
GentlenessWarmthPeacefulness
Six wooden standing Jizo Bosatsu figures from the Kamakura period are enshrined in Jofukuji's Treasure Hall. Each is carved from a single piece of Japanese cypress and stands a little over 110 cm tall. Together they represent Jizo's compassion for beings in the six realms, yet each has a different expression, head angle and hand gesture. Some wear an especially gentle smile, giving the group its affectionate nickname, 'Smiling Jizo.' The six figures are protected as a Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property and can be viewed by ordinary visitors. The Treasure Hall opens 8:00–17:00, admission is ¥100 and it closes over New Year. Guided visits offered by the temple can be booked separately.
Kitadera Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Yakushi Nyorai (Kitadera Buddhist Statue Group) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
高知県安芸郡安田町別所109-1
Visiting Status Advance booking required to view the statues in the storehouse (call Kitadera: 0887-39-2171)
PeacefulnessRefinementDepth
Kitadera, near the upper reaches of the Yasuda River, preserves a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai from the Heian period. Although small, the figure has a gentle, carefully finished face and retains its original lotus pedestal. In the treasure storehouse are nine Buddhist statues designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan: this principal Yakushi, a standing Shaka Nyorai, five standing bodhisattva figures and standing Jikokuten and Zochoten. Two additional deva statues are protected by the prefecture. Their exact makers and dates have not been identified. Tradition says Kobo Daishi established the temple while timber was being floated down the Yasuda River. Advance booking with Kitadera (0887-39-2171) is required to view the statues in the storehouse.