Buddhist temple
Ōya-ji
大谷寺（おおやじ）
Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture
A Tendai temple in Ōya-machi, Utsunomiya, the 19th temple of the Bandō Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. Its principal image, a Senju Kannon carved into the rock face, is called "Ōya Kannon".
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal object of worship: Senju Kannon (Ōya Kannon)
History and things to know
According to temple tradition, the temple is said to have begun when, around the Daidō and Kōnin eras, Kōbō Daishi pacified a valley where a venomous serpent lived, and a Senju Kannon was found carved into the rocky hill. The ten stone buddhas, including the principal image, are designated a national Special Historic Site and Important Cultural Property, and in the early Edo period the temple was revived with support from Kamehime, eldest daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
The 27-meter Peace Kannon is a separate statue from the principal image, Ōya Kannon, and is managed as a park of Utsunomiya City.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 大谷寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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