御本尊として安置されている「大日様」は、高さ4.85mで、国の重要文化財に指定されており、津軽地方最古の仏像と言われています。一方で、仏像自体は、実は大日如来ではなく阿弥陀如来坐像(あみだにょらいざぞう)です。仏像には、通常ヒノキが用いられますが「大日様」にはヒバ材が使用されています。

「大鰐町」の地名について、この大きな阿弥陀如来坐像「おおあみだ」から「おおわに」へ変化したという説もあります。

Dainenji Temple is a famous place of worship in Tsugaru as “Dainichi-sama of Owani”.
In Tsugaru, “Tsugaru Ichidai-sama,” a custom unique to the Tsugaru region where the zodiac sign of the year of one’s birth is regarded as a guardian deity, has been widely practiced since the era of the feudal government, and Dainichi-sama is the deity of those born in the year of the first and the last.

The “Dainichi-sama” enshrined as the principal image is 4.85 meters high, is designated as a national important cultural property, and is said to be the oldest Buddhist image in the Tsugaru region. On the other hand, the Buddha image itself is not actually a Dainichi Nyorai, but a seated Amida Nyorai (Amida Nyorai za-zou). Usually cypress is used for Buddha images, but “Dainichi-sama” is made of hiba (cypress).

There is a theory that the name of “Owani-machi” was changed from “Ohamida” to “Owani” because of the large seated Amida Nyorai statue.