are Japanese Buddhist icons or statues concealed from public view. are generally located within Buddhist temples in shrines called . They are unavailable for viewing or worship except for certain religious ceremonies. It is possible in some cases for the to be viewed in exchange for an offering to the temple. Some , such as the wooden statue of Gautama Buddha at Seiryà Â-ji or the Amida statuary at Zenkà Â-ji, are almost never displayed, even to initiates of the temples in which they are held (such examples are called ). Others are put on public display rarely, in a ceremony called .
Whilst the practice of concealing important religious artefacts within or behind curtains dates to the Heian period, the came slightly later. It is possible that the original practice was based on the Shinto concept of without physical form, however a document from Kà Âryà «-ji indicates that it began at that temple with the concealment of a statue of Kannon imported from Silla in 616. The earliest record of an actual dates from 1106, when sources indicate the Amida statues at Zenkà Â-ji were briefly put on display. By the Edo period had become a popular concept in Japanese Buddhism, and during this time kaichà  ceremonies became major public events, drawing crowds of thousands. Art historian Shiro Ito notes that are a uniquely Japanese phenomenon; other Buddhist cultures do not have any equivalent practice.
The concealment of is intended to emphasise their potency and transcendence. It may also serve to protect them from pollution by the impure influences of the mundane world, or to preserve the personal privacy of these "living" embodiments of Buddhism.
Liza Dalby's novel Hidden Buddhas is based on the concept of .