Cultural assets

Bronze Statue of Yakushi Buddha

Monuments (historical sites) / Obama / 【Collective term of cultural properties】Temples and shrines of ancient times and medieval ages in Onyu district

On the road towards the Harihatagoe Pass, after leaving the Onyu townscape and passing Wakasahime Jinja Shrine, a small bell tower by the roadside near Wakasahiko Jinja Shrine marks the location of Rengeji Temple. The bell was originally donated to Wakasahiko Shrine during the centuries-long period when Shinto and Buddhism were practiced in a syncretic fusion, but it was removed from the shrine grounds after the Meiji government ordered to separate the two religions in 1868.

Next to the main hall of Rengeji Temple is the Yakushido Hall that houses a standing bronze statue of Yakushi Buddha, the deity of medicine and healing. It was once worshipped in Wakasahiko Shrine as a honjibutsu (the Buddhist identity of the Shinto deity). An inscription on the back states that the sculpture was made in 1248, and the high-level techniques that were used to create it indicate that it was most likely cast in Kyoto. The Yakushi Buddha statue is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Over the centuries, the beautifully crafted statue must have watched over thousands of people who traveled along the routes of the Saba Kaido (“Mackerel Road”), a network of trade roads connecting Obama and Kyoto that were historically used to transport seafood and other goods between the bustling port city and the former capital of Japan.

Please note that the Yakushido Hall is usually closed. Visitors who wish to see the statue need to contact Obama City Hall in advance.


Japan Heritage Utilization Promotion Council of Obama City and Wakasa townFukui Prefecture, Obama City, Wakasa town

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