Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-07 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Kokawa-dera, formally Kazaragi-san Kokawa-dera, is a Tendai temple in the Kokawa area of the city of Kinokawa, Wakayama. Its main image, a Thousand-armed Kannon, is an absolute hidden image that has never been shown to the public. Temples with a hidden main image often place a stand-in statue in front of it, but here the stand-in is hidden too. The main image is said to be buried in a container beneath the main hall to protect it from fire, and the stand-in is opened only once a year, on 31 December, for cleaning by monks connected with the temple; lay people cannot see it.
Kokawa Station on the Wakayama Line is about 1.1 km away in a straight line.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Kokawadera13s3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Kokawadera10s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Kokawadera09s3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Kokawadera01s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Kokawadera-N0176 — K.Oku(UU7) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kokawa-dera Temple - Yakushi-dô — Yanajin33 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kokawa-dera Temple - Taishi-dô — Yanajin33 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kokawa-dera Temple - Shutsugen-ike Pond — Yanajin33 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kokawa-dera Temple - Rokkaku-dô — Yanajin33 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kokawa-dera Temple - Gyôja-dô — Yanajin33 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kokawa-dera (粉河寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the Kokawa neighborhood of the city of Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture Japan. It belongs to the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon (primary image) is an absolute hibutsu (secret/hidden) statue of Senjū Kannon Bosatsu, which has never been displayed to the public. In Japanese Buddhist temples, if the principal image is a secret image, a substitute statue called an "omaetachi" is often placed in front of the principal image's altar, but at Kokawa-dera, the "omaetachi" statue is also a secret image. The principal image is said to be buried in a container underground beneath the main hall to prevent fires. The "omaetachi" statue is only opened once a year on December 31 for cleaning by monks connected with the temple - lay people have no opportunity to view it. The temple's full name is Kazaragi-san Kokawa-dera (風猛山 粉河寺) .
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-07 · Official visitor information · Official visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Temple
Nearby station
Nearby station: Kokawa (Wakayama Line), about 1.1 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
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