Enku was born in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture) in 1632. He later visited the Tohoku region and left behind a Buddha image in Hokkaido in 1666 at the age of 35, according to records in the "Gokoku Diary of the Tsugaru Clan" and the year "Kanbun 6" written on Enku Buddha in Hiroo-cho, Date-shi, and Suto-cho. The Enku Buddha in Hokkaido is the oldest surviving example of the Kannon Buddha.
It is said that Enku Buddha's smiling face, full of compassion, soothed people's hearts and led them to faith.
In Kaminokuni-cho, six Enku-butsu statues are enshrined at Kaminokuni-kannondō, Kinoko-komyoji, Kitamura Jizōan, Ishizaki-hachiman Shrine, and the former Sasanami family residence, and are still revered by many.

The Kaminokuni Kannondo was closed to the public on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Enku-butsu will be exhibited at the former Sasanami family residence in the future.