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A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Tochoji Temple
Buddhist Image Six Images: Kobo Daishi, Monju, Jizo, Yakushi, Byakue Kannon and Hokushin Reifushin Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva / Other
福岡県福岡市博多区御供所町2-4
Visiting Status Normally closed (the shrine cabinet in the Hexagonal Hall is opened on the 28th of each month; confirm which images are visible)
MysteryRefinementStillness
Tochoji's Hexagonal Hall was built in 1842 with donations gathered by Hakata merchant Bungoya Eizo. Inside is a rotating, six-sided shrine cabinet, whose faces enshrine images of Kobo Daishi, Monju Bosatsu, Jizo Bosatsu, Yakushi Nyorai, Byakue Kannon and Hokushin Reifushin. The doors are normally shut, but images may be venerated on the monthly opening day, the 28th. The unusual hall itself is designated a tangible cultural property of Fukuoka City, making this a place to experience Hakata's popular devotion alongside distinctive Buddhist architecture.
Sairinji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福岡県糸島市志摩御床355
Visiting Status Advance telephone contact required (viewable throughout the year; arrange a visit with the temple)
PeacefulnessRefinementNobility
Sairinji in Shima Mitoko, Itoshima, preserves a wooden seated Amida Nyorai from the late Heian period. The statue stands 108 cm high, is made from joined Japanese cypress and coated with lacquer and gold leaf, and was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1914. Its small, neatly arranged hair curls, lowered eyes and full cheeks create a gentle expression. The hands form the jobon-gesho mudra of descent to welcome the faithful. The robe folds reflect the influence of Jocho's sculptural style. Tradition attributes the statue to Eshin Sozu, but the attribution is unconfirmed. Visitors can arrange to view the image year-round by calling the temple beforehand.
Ukidake Shrine
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Buddha (traditionally Yakushi), Standing Jizo and Standing Tathagata Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva
福岡県糸島市二丈吉井904
Visiting Status Advance telephone booking required (contact Ukidake Shrine to view the repository; visits may not be possible on some dates)
DepthDignityMystery
Ukidake Shrine preserves three early-Heian wooden Buddhist sculptures that bear witness to the historical blending of Buddhist and Shinto worship. The seated Buddha, traditionally identified as Yakushi, is about 90 cm tall; the standing Jizo is about 176 cm and the standing Tathagata about 180 cm. All three are carved from single kaya-wood trunks and designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Believed to have come from the former Kyuanji Temple (also called Kiwaji) on Mount Ukidake, they survived the anti-Buddhist destruction of the Meiji period. Although parts of the arms have been lost, their commanding mass and severe faces make them some of Kyushu's oldest surviving Buddhist sculptures. Viewing can be arranged by reservation but is not guaranteed on every date.
Yogenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Sho Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福岡県飯塚市大分1281
Visiting Status Regularly open to the public according to the Fukuoka Prefecture cultural-property database (confirm hall visiting hours beforehand)
PeacefulnessNobilityRefinement
This wooden standing Sho Kannon is enshrined in the Kannon Hall of Yogenji, a Tendai temple in Daibu, Iizuka. Dating to the late Heian period, the 166 cm statue is made from joined Japanese cypress and has a lacquer-and-gold-leaf finish applied in later repairs. It was designated a tangible cultural property of Fukuoka Prefecture in 1971. Its high hair arrangement, finely carved hairline and gently upturned eyes create a calm expression; the chest, waist and abdomen show a full, carefully modeled volume. The image was inherited from Chorakuji, once the Buddhist temple attached to Daibu Hachimangu Shrine, after that temple was abolished during the separation of Shinto and Buddhism. The prefectural database lists it as regularly accessible.
Kanzeonji Temple
Buddhist Image Sho Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福岡県太宰府市観世音寺5丁目6-1
Visiting Status Viewable in the Treasure House (9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; paid admission). Some areas restricted for restoration from October 2026; confirm the individual statue's display.
SolemnityPeacefulnessNobility
Once the principal image of Kanzeonji's former Lecture Hall, this seated wooden Sho Kannon Bodhisattva measures 321 cm in height. Records and an inscription inside the image establish that it was made in 1066. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. A major work symbolizing the temple's recovery from the great fire of 1064, it displays the gently rounded face, smoothly sloping shoulders and flowing robe folds characteristic of late-Heian Buddhist sculpture. It is now housed in the Treasure House, where visitors can encounter an image of Kannon far larger than life.
Ishikakizan Kannonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Bishamonten Category Tenbu (Deva)
福岡県久留米市田主丸町石垣275
Visiting Status Viewable in the Main Hall (prefectural cultural-property database lists 9:00–17:00; confirm access inside the hall beforehand)
DignityPowerRefinement
This wooden standing Bishamonten is enshrined on the right side of the inner sanctuary at Ishikakizan Kannonji in Tanushimaru, Kurume. Dating to the late Heian period, it is 96 cm tall, carved from a single Japanese cypress trunk and was designated a tangible cultural property of Fukuoka Prefecture in 1999. Wearing armor and holding a pagoda aloft in the left hand, it displays finely carved and well-organized details in its armor and robes. An ink inscription inside mentions a sculptor and the rank of acharya, but the sculptor's name cannot be deciphered. The prefectural database lists visiting hours of 9:00–17:00.
Ishikakizan Kannonji Temple
Buddhist Image Sho Kannon Statue with an Eleven-Faced Kannon Enshrined Inside Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福岡県久留米市田主丸町石垣275
Visiting Status Hidden principal image unveiled on the third Sunday of January, May and September each year
MysteryPeacefulnessSolemnity
The principal image of Ishikakizan Kannonji is Sho Kannon, containing an Eleven-Faced Kannon within it. Normally concealed in a shrine cabinet in the Main Hall, the image is unveiled on the third Sunday of January, May and September each year, according to the temple's official guidance. During these openings, a ritual cord extends from the statue's hand to an unveiling pillar. Worshippers touch the cord or pillar to establish a spiritual bond with Kannon. The temple is Station No. 19 on the Kyushu Saigoku pilgrimage and No. 3 on the Chikugo pilgrimage, and the first-Kannon festival in January includes a fire-walking goma ritual. Neither the statue's production date nor its sculptor is confirmed.
Nakayama Fudoson
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Fudo Myo-o with Two Standing Attendants (Kongara Doji and Seitaka Doji) Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
福岡県鞍手郡鞍手町大字中山1441
Visiting Status Normally closed; unveiled at spring and autumn Nakayama Fudoson festivals. Traditionally the second Sunday of April and October; confirm the current dates.
Tense PresenceDignityDepth
Nakayama Fudoson in Kurate preserves a wooden seated Fudo Myoo with two attendant figures from the late Heian period, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1904. The 81 cm Fudo is carved from a single zelkova trunk. Insect damage and age have taken both arms and parts of the head, yet its tenchigan gaze, with one eye looking upward and the other downward and deeply carved expression retain a powerful dignity. On either side stand the 91 cm figures of Kongara Doji and Seitaka Doji, whose graceful contours survive despite damage. Believed to be the only surviving late-Heian Fudo triad of its kind in Fukuoka Prefecture, it may be venerated during the unveilings at the spring and autumn festivals.
Kanzeonji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Fukukensaku Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福岡県太宰府市観世音寺5丁目6-1
Visiting Status Viewable in the Treasure House (9:00–17:00, last admission 16:30). Under restoration in October 2026, with scaffolding and restricted access limiting a full view; confirm in advance.
SolemnityDignityMystery
At 517 cm tall, this standing wooden Fukukensaku Kannon is the largest of the monumental Buddhist sculptures in Kanzeonji's Treasure House. Made in 1222 during the Kamakura period, it is an Important Cultural Property of Japan, with an inscription naming the master sculptor monk Ringen. Carved from joined camphorwood, the statue replaced an earlier clay image that collapsed in 1221. Remains of the original clay statue, including its wooden core and fragments of its head, along with scriptures, were found inside. Its towering size and forceful Kamakura-period modeling are remarkable, but conservation work from autumn 2026 restricts the viewing area.
Oyama Kokuzodo Hall
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
福岡県糸島市志摩小金丸578
Visiting Status Hidden image unveiled annually on the second Sunday of April; confirm the current year's ceremony before visiting
PeacefulnessRefinementStillness
This wooden standing Eleven-Faced Kannon is enshrined in Oyama Kokuzodo Hall on the slopes of Mount Kaya, also called 'Itoshima Fuji.' Dating to the late Heian period, the 171 cm figure is carved from a single kaya-wood trunk, with eleven faces around its head and a gentle smile. Its softly curving body and shallow robe folds suggest a date in the late 12th century. It was designated a tangible cultural property of Fukuoka Prefecture in 1999. Said to have belonged to a former temple in the area, it remains carefully preserved after local residents rebuilt the hall and is worshipped alongside Kokuzo Bosatsu, Dainichi Nyorai and other images. It is unveiled on the second Sunday of April each year.
Raizan Sennyoji Daihioin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Portrait of Seiga Shonin Category Other
福岡県糸島市雷山626
Visiting Status Viewable year-round in the Founder's Hall (reception 9:00–16:30; adult admission ¥500; confirm changes during temple events)
DepthDignityStillness
This wooden portrait from the Kamakura period represents Seiga Shonin, an Indian monk traditionally regarded as the founder of Raizan Sennyoji. About 70 cm tall and made from joined Japanese cypress, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1914. The monk's shaved head, deeply wrinkled cheeks and open mouth revealing his upper teeth and the tip of his tongue create an unusually lifelike impression, as if he were reciting a sutra. The rosary and scripture scroll in his hands are later replacements. Enshrined in the Founder's Hall separately from the Thousand-Armed Kannon, it is viewable throughout the year.
Muryoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Amida Nyorai with Teaching Mudra Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
福岡県久留米市本町8-4
Visiting Status Advance confirmation required (the statue is enshrined in the Main Hall; the official website invites worship but does not publish specific viewing hours for the statue)
NobilityPeacefulnessRefinement
The principal image of Muryoji, a Jodo Buddhist temple in Honmachi, Kurume, is a wooden standing Amida Nyorai dating to the Kamakura period. It is 122.5 cm tall, made from joined Japanese cypress, with carved eyes and lacquer-and-gold-leaf decoration, and was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1912. Instead of the usual welcoming mudra, both elbows are bent and the thumb and index finger of each hand are brought together to form an exceptionally rare teaching mudra. The temple buildings burned during the 1945 Kurume air raid, but the image survived because it had been evacuated. Still worshipped as the Main Hall's principal statue, it is mentioned in the temple's invitation to visitors; anyone wishing to view the statue should confirm hall access beforehand.
Daikozenji Temple
Buddhist Image Standing Tamonten and Komokuten Category Tenbu (Deva)
佐賀県三養基郡基山町園部3628
Visiting Status Normally closed to viewing (special opening scheduled for November 14–15 and November 21–December 6, 2026, 10:00–16:00; confirm in advance)
PowerDignitySolemnity
Daikozenji, a special head temple of the Tendai school, preserves wooden standing images of Tamonten and Komokuten. Regarded as guardians of the temple's principal Eleven-faced Kannon, both wear helmets and armor and stand on rocky bases. They are thought to date from the late Heian period. Tamonten measures approximately 145 cm and Komokuten approximately 149 cm in height. Both are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties, and special viewing is scheduled during the autumn foliage festival in 2026.
Rengonin Temple
Buddhist Image Two Seated Amida Nyorai and One Seated Yakushi Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
佐賀県鹿島市大字山浦甲1476
Visiting Status Confirm in advance (the images may be viewed; contact the temple for visiting times)
PeacefulnessNobilitySolemnity
Rengonin, a Shingon Buddhist temple of the Omuro branch said by Kashima City to have been founded in the late ninth century, preserves two seated Amida Nyorai images and one seated Yakushi Nyorai. All three are said to have survived the destruction of the temple buildings during the Sengoku period and are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. The statues reflect the Jocho style of the late Heian period. Kashima City's tourism information indicates that the images may be viewed, but visitors should confirm opening arrangements directly with the temple.
Tomyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
佐賀県神埼郡吉野ヶ里町田手1728
Visiting Status Normally not on view (traditionally unveiled at the May 21 Tomyoji Festival; temple information lists 13:00–16:00; confirm the latest schedule)
RefinementPeacefulnessSolemnity
The principal image of Tomyoji, a Shingon Ritsu temple believed to have been founded during the Koan era (1278–1288) under Emperor Go-Uda's patronage to pray for protection against the Mongol invasions, is a wooden seated Shaka Nyorai. Measuring 111 cm high, the figure was made from joined Japanese cypress wood and gilded over a lacquer ground. Thought to date from the early Kamakura period, it is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The principal image is traditionally unveiled during the temple's annual festival on May 21, together with a goma fire ritual.
Hosenji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Seated Birushana Buddha Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
佐賀県杵島郡白石町大字馬洗2261
Visiting Status Confirm in advance (ask the temple about entry hours and conditions for the Great Buddha Hall)
SolemnityDignityStillness
The Great Buddha Hall of Hosenji, a temple restored by the Sengoku-period warlord Ryuzoji Takanobu, houses a wooden seated Birushana Buddha approximately 3 m tall. Saga Prefecture's official tourism guide highlights it as one of the temple's principal attractions. Hosenji also preserves a wooden seated Eleven-faced Kannon as its principal image and stone statues of the Sixteen Arhats in its grounds, which include Ryuzoji Takanobu's grave. Visitors should confirm when and under what conditions the Great Buddha Hall may be entered.
Eijuji Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Fudo Myo-o and Two Attendant Boys Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
佐賀県嬉野市嬉野町大字吉田丙3486
Visiting Status Confirm in advance (grounds visiting hours are listed as 8:00–17:00; Fudo Hall may be closed, so contact the temple about viewing the images)
PowerTense PresenceDignity
Eijuji, a Soto Zen temple said to have been founded in 1614 by Nabeshima Shigenori as a family memorial temple, enshrines a wooden Fudo Myoo and two attendant boys in its Fudo Hall. Thought to date from the late Heian period, the 88.2 cm-high Fudo bears a wrathful expression. Kongara Doji stands with palms joined, while Seitaka Doji holds a sword. All three are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties and are said to have been moved from the now-defunct Eiseiji Temple. While visiting hours are published for the grounds, access to the images inside the hall requires advance confirmation.
Udono Stone Buddhas
Buddhist Image Rock-carved Eleven-faced Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
佐賀県唐津市相知町相知
Visiting Status Open to visitors at all times (outdoor site, free access and admission)
PowerMysteryTense Presence
About 60 Buddhist figures carved into cliff faces on a hill in Ochi, Karatsu, survive from the medieval to early modern periods. Alongside Eleven-faced Kannon are armored Tamonten and Jikokuten, evoking the site's former role as a center of mountain Buddhist practice. A tradition says Kukai carved images here in 806, but the oldest surviving sculptures date to the first half of the fourteenth century, during the Nanbokucho period. The site was designated a Saga Prefectural Historic Site in 1956 and can be freely visited outdoors.
Hoanji Temple
Buddhist Image Reclining Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
佐賀県唐津市北波多岸山447
Visiting Status Accessible from the temple grounds at all times (free worship, open year-round)
SolemnityPeacefulnessMystery
Hoanji, a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in 1923 to memorialize the Hata clan, has more than one hundred Buddhist images carved into its great cliff face, including a reclining Shaka Buddha, Fudo Myoo, and Kobo Daishi. The images form part of a New Shikoku 88-Site Pilgrimage. Its central reclining Shaka is a relief approximately 10 m long, consecrated on February 12, 1952. Visitors can view the reclining Buddha outdoors and enjoy azaleas in spring and hydrangeas in early summer within the temple grounds.
Jissoin Temple
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Kongo Rikishi (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
佐賀県佐賀市大和町大字川上947
Visiting Status Viewable from the temple grounds at all times (enshrined inside the Nio Gate; grounds freely accessible year-round)
PowerDignityTense Presence
A pair of wooden Kongo Rikishi guardians stands inside the Nio Gate of Jissoin, a Shingon Omuro temple near Kawakami Gorge. The open-mouthed Agyo measures 260 cm, while the closed-mouthed Ungyo measures 260 cm. Both are constructed of joined Japanese cypress wood, with inset crystal eyes and painted surfaces. Historical records indicate that Kyoto sculptors made them in the early Edo period, and both are designated Important Cultural Properties by Saga City. Their powerful forms can be viewed through the gate's lattice.