Find Buddhist Spots
A connection with a Buddha image may appear unexpectedly. Search for places that may lead you to your own My Buddha.
Daihoji Temple
Buddhist Image Eleven-faced Kanzeon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県五島市玉之浦町大宝631
Visiting Status Normally open for worship (8:00–18:00; free; confirm access to particular images inside the halls when necessary)
MysteryNobilityStillness
Daihoji, on western Fukue Island, is an old Koyasan Shingon temple known as the Western Koyasan. Temple tradition dates its foundation by the monk Doyu to 701 and holds that Kukai taught esoteric Shingon Buddhism here after returning from China in 806. Official tourism information mentions an Eleven-faced Kannon image traditionally said to have been donated by Saicho. The grounds contain a Kobo Daishi hall and a symbolic pilgrimage route over soil from the Eighty-eight Temples of Shikoku. Daihoji is the 88th stop on the Goto pilgrimage circuit and was added to the Japan Heritage cultural-property group in 2022. General worship is free from 8:00 to 18:00.
Saikyoji Temple
Buddhist Image Fudo Myo-o Image Category Myo-o (Wisdom King)
長崎県平戸市岩の上町1205
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (8:30–17:00, no regular closing days, admission fee; confirm changes in advance)
PowerDignitySolemnity
At Saikyoji, known as the Western Koyasan, a 33.5-meter-tall three-story great pagoda was completed in 1988 to mark the 1,150th memorial anniversary of Kukai. Its first-level Myo-o Iryoku Hall enshrines a Fudo Myoo image modeled at life size on Matsuura Hiromu (Kanchu), the 35th head of the Hirado Matsuura family, together with other images. Visitors can also experience a symbolic journey through darkness in the basement, called Taizokai Meguri, and view Buddhist art in the temple treasure museum. The site connects Hirado's history with devotion to Kobo Daishi. The great pagoda and museum are normally open from 8:30 to 17:00 with paid admission.
Nagasakisan Kiyomizudera Temple
Buddhist Image Pindola Bharadvaja (Binzuru, a 'Rubbing Buddha') Category Other
長崎県長崎市鍛冶屋町8-43
Visiting Status Confirm in advance (general worshippers are welcomed; ask the temple about hours for entering the Main Hall)
GentlenessPeacefulnessWarmth
Kiyomizudera was founded in 1623 by Keijun, a monk from Kyoto's Kiyomizudera. Its Main Hall, built in 1668 through donations by the Chinese merchant He Gaocai and others, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property for its blending of Japanese and Chinese Obaku-style architecture. At the rear of the outer sanctuary stands an image of Pindola Bharadvaja, affectionately known as Binzuru. Its right hand is detachable, allowing expectant mothers to rub their abdomens while praying for safe childbirth. The statue is also revered as a nadebotoke ('rubbing Buddha'), which worshippers touch when praying for relief from illness.
Entsuzan Kannonji (Misaki Kannon Zen Temple)
Buddhist Image Wooden Standing Senju Kannon (Eleven-faced, Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Kannon, Misaki Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県長崎市脇岬町2330
Visiting Status Normally concealed (an older Nagasaki City guide states unveiling on the 18th of each month, 9:00–16:30; confirm current dates and times with the temple)
GentlenessNobilitySolemnity
The principal image of Kannonji, a Soto Zen temple near the southern tip of the Nagasaki Peninsula, is a wooden standing Senju Kannon long venerated as Misaki Kannon. Approximately 2.5 meters tall, it bears eleven faces above its head and has forty-two arms. Its full cheeks, serene expression and delicately shallow robe folds reflect late Heian-period sculpture, while the core of the head and body was carved from one block of wood. It is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Temple tradition traces its founding to Gyoki in 709. During the Edo period, worshippers traveled the Misaki Road from Nagasaki to visit the statue. An older Nagasaki City guide states that the image is unveiled on the 18th of each month.
Iozan Enmeiji Temple
Buddhist Image Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai, Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu, and the Twelve Divine Generals Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva / Deva
長崎県長崎市寺町3-1
Visiting Status Confirm in advance (ask the temple about Main Hall worship hours; large prayer-bead ritual on the 20th and goma fire rite on the 28th of each month)
GentlenessPeacefulnessSolemnity
Enmeiji, a Shingon Omuro Buddhist temple, was founded in 1616 by the monk Ryusen. Its principal Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai image, holding a medicine jar in its left hand, is traditionally said to have been carried here on the founder's back from Okayama. Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas attend the main image, surrounded by the Twelve Divine Generals. Worship continues here for healing and long life. The present Main Hall combines halls for Yakushi, Kobo Daishi and Fudo Myoo. A large prayer-bead ritual takes place on the 20th and a Fudo Myoo goma fire rite on the 28th of each month. Of the 639 floral ceiling paintings, medicinal plants appear above Yakushi.
Tomeizan Kofukuji Temple
Buddhist Image Shaka Nyorai Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
長崎県長崎市寺町4-32
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (8:00–17:00, no regular closing days, admission fee; confirm arrangements for worship inside the hall on site)
DignityRefinementSolemnity
Founded in 1620 by people from the Nanjing region of China, Kofukuji is regarded as Japan's first Chinese temple and the birthplace of the Japanese Obaku Zen school. Its Daiyuhoden houses Shaka Nyorai as the principal Buddha. The present hall was rebuilt by Chinese craftsmen in 1883 and is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Colorful carvings, sweeping rooflines and round lattice windows with an ice-crack pattern preserve the architectural character of southern Chinese temples. The grounds are open to paying visitors from 8:00 to 17:00, offering a place to worship Shaka Nyorai and experience the distinctive interior of a Chinese-founded temple. The statue's own date, sculptor and cultural-property designation have not been confirmed.
Toyo-zan Saihoji Temple
Buddhist Image Pair of Agyo and Ungyo Kongo Rikishi (Wooden Guardian Kings) Category Tenbu (Deva)
長崎県佐世保市八幡町5-13
Visiting Status Normally open for viewing (summer 8:30–17:00, winter 8:30–16:30; until 17:00 over the New Year holidays)
PowerDignitySolemnity
At Saihoji, a Soto Zen temple in central Sasebo, two imposing Kongo Rikishi guardian figures stand facing one another at the entrance gate. The pair was carved from single pieces of wood in Fujian Province, China, and stands in the Nio Gate completed in 2001. The temple explains that the open-mouthed Agyo represents birth and the closed-mouthed Ungyo death, and encourages visitors to view the guardians of the gate. The Main Hall is modeled on the Great Temple at Bodh Gaya in India and enshrines Shaka Nyorai as its principal Buddha. The temple publishes regular visiting hours, allowing the guardian figures to be seen up close.
Kotaiji Temple
Buddhist Image Pair of Kongo Rikishi Guardian Figures Category Tenbu (Deva)
長崎県長崎市寺町1-1
Visiting Status Nio Gate is undergoing conservation work (target completion: December 21, 2026). The guardian statues were temporarily removed in September 2024. Confirm current access and viewing arrangements with the temple in advance.
PowerDignityRefinement
A pair of Agyo and Ungyo Kongo Rikishi guardians was traditionally enshrined on either side of the Nio Gate, the middle gate of Kotaiji, a Soto Zen temple. The gate is said to date to 1680 and, despite successive repairs, retains its historic appearance. It is a two-story gate with an upper room and corridors connecting at the rear on both sides. The entrance gate, Nio Gate and Great Buddha Hall were designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Nagasaki Prefecture in 2009. As part of conservation work, the guardian statues were temporarily removed in September 2024. Completion of the gate repairs is targeted for December 21, 2026, so visitors should ask the temple about opportunities to view the statues. The statues' own dates of creation and cultural-property status have not been confirmed.
Seikozan Kotoji Temple
Buddhist Image Reclining Shaka Nyorai (Teaching Nirvana Image) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
長崎県島原市中堀町42
Visiting Status Accessible for worship from the grounds at all times (no closing days, free, outdoor image)
PeacefulnessDepthStillness
A large reclining Shakyamuni Buddha rests on a small hill called Bungoyama in the grounds of Kotoji in Shimabara. It was made in 1957 by Nissei Fukuzaki of Shigisan, Nara, to commemorate Matsukura Shigemasa, lord of Shimabara Castle, and Itakura Shigemasa, who died in the Shimabara Rebellion. Shimabara City's official guide describes the reinforced-concrete image as about 8.1 meters long. It depicts the Buddha continuing to teach his disciples before entering nirvana. A great Dharma-wheel emblem is engraved on the soles of its feet, and 10,000 hand-copied sutra scrolls donated by worshippers are enclosed in the head. The outdoor statue can be visited free of charge and viewed up close.
Daioji Temple (Tomikawa Gorge)
Buddhist Image Five Hundred Rakan Cliff Carvings and Buddha Images Category Other / Tathagata
長崎県諫早市富川町925
Visiting Status Outdoor worship possible (some cliffside areas are closed because of rockfall hazards; follow posted restrictions)
DepthMysteryStillness
The Five Hundred Rakan at Daioji in Isahaya's Tomikawa Gorge form an extensive group of Buddhist images carved into cliff faces and boulders. A great flood of the Honmyo River in 1699 killed 487 people, followed by a severe drought the next year. The seventh lord of Isahaya commissioned the carvings to honor the dead and pray for peace in his domain, and the work was completed in 1709. A total of 510 images, including Rakan and three Buddha figures, have been identified, and the site is designated a Historic Site of Nagasaki Prefecture. Visitors can reflect on memories of the disaster while viewing the carvings in a natural setting, but sections of the cliffs are closed due to cracks and rockfall risk; worship should take place from safe paths.
Jorakuzan Keiganji Temple
Buddhist Image Thirty-three Kannon Cliff Carvings Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県諫早市城見町15-19
Visiting Status Outdoor images may be viewed from the grounds (confirm general visiting hours in advance)
RefinementDepthStillness
At the southern edge of Keiganji, a Jodo Buddhist temple, thirty-three Kannon Bodhisattva images are carved into a sandstone cliff. Arranged in order from the west, each is modeled in semi-relief within an aureole-shaped recess. The figures measure about 40 cm high and 25–30 cm wide. Beside them are carved pilgrimage numbers, such as 'Eighth of the Thirty-three Saigoku Sites.' An inscription on the cliff records a donation by the mother of Fukuda Gentayu in February 1770. The carvings are a Tangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Isahaya City and offer an accessible example of a stone-image pilgrimage tradition in the urban area.
Harahoge Jizo
Buddhist Image Six Jizo Bodhisattvas (Harahoge Jizo) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県壱岐市芦辺町諸吉本村触1342番地
Visiting Status Viewable at any time from shore (outdoors, free; at high tide the statues are submerged up to their chests, so check the tide before approaching)
GentlenessMysteryStillness
Six stone Jizo Bodhisattvas stand in the tidal shallows at Yahataura on Iki Island. Worshipped as the Six Jizo who help beings suffering in the six realms of existence, they are also associated with memorial prayers for female divers and whales, as well as for those who died at sea. The name 'Harahoge Jizo' comes from the circular hollows in the statues' abdomens. At high tide the water rises to their chests, giving the images an unusual appearance that changes with the tides. Their dates of creation and makers are unknown. They can be viewed freely from the shore, but visitors should take care with the tide and their footing.
Hoseiji Temple (Sasu Kannon Hall)
Buddhist Image Standing Wooden Senju Kannon and Fifteen Wooden Buddhist Images Category Bodhisattva / Tathagata / Deva / Other
長崎県対馬市厳原町樫根344
Visiting Status Viewing possible through wooden lattice (confirm the hall's opening hours in advance)
NobilityDepthSolemnity
At Hoseiji's Kannon Hall in the Sasu district on Tsushima's western coast, a 170 cm-tall standing wooden Senju Kannon is preserved alongside fifteen other Buddhist wooden figures dating to the Heian period. The Kannon has forty-two arms and was carved from a single piece of cypress for the core of the head and body, then split, hollowed and rejoined. It is thought to date to around the early twelfth century. The Kannon was designated a Nagasaki Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property in 1988, and the group of fifteen figures received the same status in 1973. The figures were moved here from a Kannon hall in Tsuruno in 1888 and include Jizo Bodhisattva, Buddhas, Brahma, and a monk-form Manjushri. The Tsushima Tourism Association confirms that visitors can view the statues through wooden latticework.
Kurose Kannon Hall
Buddhist Image Seated Bronze Buddha and Seated Bronze Bosatsu Category Tathagata / Bodhisattva
長崎県対馬市美津島町黒瀬321
Visiting Status Advance arrangement required (the hall is normally locked; contact Tsushima City to arrange a visit)
DignityDepthMystery
Two Buddhist images brought from the Asian mainland are preserved in Kurose, a settlement at the head of Aso Bay. The seated bronze Buddha is thought to have been cast in eighth-century Unified Silla. Depicted seated with the right shoulder exposed, it is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Despite damage and deformation from fire, its full face and vigorously modeled robe folds retain exceptional sculptural quality. Locally called the 'Goddess,' it has long been venerated as a protector of safe childbirth. Beside it is a seated bronze Bodhisattva believed to have been made on the Korean Peninsula in the late fourteenth century, also bearing traces of fire. Both are kept in a normally locked hall, and viewing must be arranged in advance with Tsushima City.
Kogonsan Chojuji Temple
Buddhist Image Yakushi Triad (Yakushi Nyorai, Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
長崎県北松浦郡小値賀町前方郷871
Visiting Status Normally viewable inside the main hall (temple website: 8:00–17:00; tourism guide: 9:00–16:00; confirm before visiting)
RefinementNobilitySolemnity
The principal Yakushi Triad is enshrined in the main hall of Chojuji, a Myoshinji-school Rinzai Zen temple on Ojika Island. According to the temple, the Kyoto sculptor Chuen carved the images in 1685, with their cost paid by the Hirado Domain. Yakushi Nyorai occupies the center, attended by Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas. Crystal-inlaid eyes and finely openworked halos are highlights of the craftsmanship, which the temple calls a particularly fine achievement. Visitors may pay respects in the main hall but must not enter the inner sanctuary. The triad preserves evidence of Buddhist sculpture and faith on an island supported by the domain during the Edo period.
Kogonsan Chojuji Temple
Buddhist Image Juichimen Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県北松浦郡小値賀町前方郷871
Visiting Status Normally viewable inside the main hall (temple website: 8:00–17:00; tourism guide: 9:00–16:00; confirm before visiting)
GentlenessNobilityDepth
The seated wooden Eleven-faced Kannon in Chojuji's main hall dates to the late Heian period. Ojika Town designated it a Town Tangible Cultural Property on March 9, 2026. The seated figure measures 107.8 cm in height, with a pedestal 74.8 cm high and a halo measuring 151 cm. A detailed investigation by the town's cultural properties committee dated the sculpture to the late Heian period on the basis of its rounded facial features and bodily proportions. Originally the principal image of Chorakuji in Yanaigo, it was transferred to Chojuji in 1878 after that temple closed, together with statues of Fudo Myoo and Bishamonten. This substantial wooden image reflects Buddhist culture on Ojika, an important maritime crossroads, and is viewable in the main hall.
Gyoran Kannon Viewpoint
Buddhist Image Stone Image of Fish-Basket Kannon Bosatsu Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県五島市三井楽町貝津
Visiting Status Outdoor worship possible at any time (no stated closure days or hours for the viewpoint; take care on the steep approach and steps)
GentlenessWarmthStillness
A stone Kannon Bodhisattva stands at Gyoran Kannon Viewpoint on the western coast of Fukue Island. Holding a basket containing a sea bream, it depicts the rare Fish-Basket Kannon and was erected to pray for the safety of fishermen in the East China Sea and plentiful catches. This form of Kannon derives from a Chinese tale in which the Bodhisattva appears as a woman selling fish. The clifftop offers sweeping views of the white sands and emerald waters of Takahama and Tontomari Beaches and the East China Sea. Goto City's facility guide lists no closed days or hours for the viewpoint, allowing visitors to view the stone image within its dramatic natural setting.
Morotsu Kannon Shirahayuki Park
Buddhist Image Standing Stone Kannon Bosatsu (Morotsu Kannon) Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県壱岐市芦辺町箱崎諸津触1778-1
Visiting Status Viewable outdoors (official sources do not specify park hours or closing days; check local conditions)
GentlenessDignityStillness
On a hill in Shirahayuki Park on Iki Island stands a Kannon Bodhisattva carved from natural stone, approximately nine meters tall. Locally known as Morotsu Kannon, the image is revered as a focus of prayers for safety at sea and people's well-being. Several smaller stone Buddhist images are arranged around it, while the park also features an extensive dry-stacked stone wall built over many years. The green hill overlooks the Genkai Sea and is known as a cherry-blossom viewing spot in spring. The local tourism association lists the park as a visitor attraction, making this an appealing place to experience both the Kannon image and its coastal landscape.
Sago Kannon Hall
Buddhist Image Standing and Seated Wooden Sho Kannon Bodhisattvas Category Bosatsu (Bodhisattva)
長崎県対馬市上県町佐護南里
Visiting Status Viewable through wooden latticework (no regular staffed reception or published hours; confirm a suitable visiting time beforehand)
GentlenessNobilityStillness
One of Tsushima's traditional Six Kannon pilgrimage sites, this small hall stands at the foot of hills overlooking fields in Sago. Its standing wooden Sho Kannon measures 155.5 cm high, is carved from a single piece of wood and is attributed to the Muromachi period. The seated Sho Kannon beside it measures 93.8 cm and, according to the Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei, bears an inscription dated 1341. Both figures are Tangible Cultural Properties designated by Tsushima City. Formerly worshipped near Ame-no-Moroha Shrine, they were moved to this location following the separation of Shinto and Buddhism and later local construction. Both figures can be worshipped through wooden latticework, offering a glimpse of the island's longstanding Kannon tradition and Buddhist sculpture.
Shohekizan Banshoin Temple
Buddhist Image Two Kongo Rikishi (Nio Guardian Kings) Category Tenbu (Deva)
長崎県対馬市厳原町厳原西里192
Visiting Status Normally open to visitors (8:00–17:00, until 18:00 in summer; daily, admission fee; last entry about 30 minutes before closing)
PowerDignitySolemnity
Two Kongo Rikishi guardian kings stand in the red main gate of Banshoin, the family temple of Tsushima's ruling So clan. Believed to ward off evil and protect the temple, these Nio guardians are noted in a government-issued multilingual visitor guide. Banshoin was established in 1615 by So Yoshinari to commemorate his father, Yoshitoshi. Its gate, surviving from the Momoyama period, is regarded as among Tsushima's oldest wooden buildings. Both the gate and statues survived fires that destroyed other parts of the temple. Beyond them a flight of 132 stone steps leads to the So family tombs, making the historic gate and its guardian images an integral part of the visit. The statues' own dates of creation and cultural-property designations have not been confirmed.