Ooyaji Temple（Ooya Kannon）

Senju Kannon, known as Japan’s Silk Road.

The beginning of Ooyaji Temple

Nearby the Utsunomiya City, the Ooyaji Temple has been built surrounded by a cavern. Within the temple are 10 stone carvings of buddha carved directly into the cavern wall including Japan’s oldest statue of the goddess Kannon (the Oya thousand-armed Kannon).

It is said that long time ago, a venomous snake was living in the Oya area and every creatures were killed by its poison. In A.D. 810, a famous monk Kukai Daishi heard this story and stayed at this area for a few days. When he left, he told people that the snake would never come back again. People found that there was a Senju Kannon (also known as Ooya Kannon) carved into the cavern, and built this temple for thanking Kukai Daishi.

Symbol of Japan’s Silk Road, the Ooya Kannon

In recent study, scholars had found some similarities between Ooya Kannon and the Buddhas of Bamiyan. It is believed to be Japan’s Silk Road heritage carved by Afghan monks.

When you visit, please join your hands in prayer for world peace and happiness for people while reflecting on Kannon’s great heart.

Location Map

Basic Information

Address	1198， Oya-machi， Utsunomiya-shi， Tochigi
Telephone Number	028-652-0128
Website	http://www.ooyaji.jp/en/
Business Hours	April–September: 8：30〜16：30 October–March: 9：00〜16：30 *Entrance closed 20 min. before closing time
Days Closed for Business	Thursday December 26th–31st each year
Price	Adults: 500 yen Junior high school students: 200 yen Elementary school students: 100 yen Group discount: Adults: 400 yen / Junior high school students: 150 yen / Elementary school students: 70 yen *Group of 30 people or more
DIRECTIONS	30 minutes from JR Utsunomiya Station West Gate by buses bound for Tateiwa to Ooya Kannon-mae bus stop, then a 3-minute walk.
Map Code	132 353 176*61

Central Area

Utsunomiya, the most populous city in Tochigi, is about an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen, and serves as a major transportation hub for the different regions of the prefecture. In addition to being known for its famous Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings), Utsunomiya is called the “city of jazz and cocktails”, as there are numerous venues for hearing live jazz music, and the bartenders are quite skilled, so there are plenty of options for enjoyable nightlife.