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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ushiku no Daibutsu: The Big Buddha statue


We had noticed a Big Buddha statue on our way to Narita airport (from Iwaki) a few times and were curious to visit the place. But not many people had recommended the place and we didn’t even know it’s name. Not sure why the place is not on the recommended places to visit despite the statue being one of the tallest Buddha statues in the world and definitely the tallest statue in Japan.
Ushiku Daibutsu, as the statue is known, is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, a short distance after exiting the Joban expressway for Narita airport. The place is also close to Tsukuba city in Ibaraki prefecture.
 The statue at 120 meters (394 feet) high is the third tallest statue in the world and the tallest in Japan.
The base of the statue is 10 meters high and the lotus platform also measure 10 meters high. 
The statue weighs 4003 tons and is bronze plated . The inside of the statue is actually a 4 storeyed building which has a museum. 

The first floor is named “Infinite Light and Infinite Life” and it has lighted displays and a dark space with a bright light beam which implies “Amida (Buddha) is the light of the world”.
The 2nd floor is dedicated to scriptural studies. Pictures and diagrams depicting various stages of the building of the Buddha statue are also on display.





 A 1:1 scale replica of the Buddha’s toe is also on display.
 3000 golden Buddha statues are displayed on the 3rd floor.

The fourth floor which is 85 meters above ground has an observation deck which offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. The deck is at the chest of the Buddha statue. The three lines near the statue's chest are actually the lookout windows can be seen in the picture below.
The statue is surrounded by a big garden. 

                                      

A huge Buddha’s head is installed in the garden.
A small petting zoo of small animals, mainly rabbits, is also located close to the Buddha statue.

Address: Kuno- 2083, Ushiku town, Ibaraki Prefecture 299-1601

Phone: 029-889-2931

Opening Hours: 9:30-17:30 hours
                      (Gates close 30 mins before closing; Closes early between March and September)

Closing Days: Open 365 days

Entrance fees: 500 yen for entrance: 800 yen for entering the Buddha statue/museum

Free car Parking available
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 4, 2015 at 5:10 AM

    There are 3000 small buddha statues in the 2nd floor.
    Wow !!
    That's amazing.
    The statue itself is the wonder of Japan. The marvelous view of the statue can make you feel at peace.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 5, 2015 at 2:31 PM

    Hi Antique Buddhas, yes you are right !
    Its truely a great piece !!
    http://www.burmese-art.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Abindra Raj DangolJuly 26, 2017 at 6:46 AM

    I believe Hand Mudra depicted by this Buddha Statue is Abhaya Mudra.

    ReplyDelete
  4. stenoteDecember 13, 2020 at 7:34 PM

    A very interesting blog, Japan has deep tradition in Buddhism... Like Shugendo, a religion based on mountain worship, blending Buddhist and Shinto traditions. Shugendo practitioners, perform deeds of sacrifice as a way of transcending the physical world.
    I tried to write a blog about it, hope you like it: https://stenote.blogspot.com/2020/07/an-interview-with-haruki.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2022 at 5:16 AM

    Reading about  Buddha   is one of my favorite pastimes. This type of post is very relaxing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. LucaDecember 20, 2022 at 4:22 AM

    I find this article is very informative, i would like to read more on Antique statues of Buddha

    ReplyDelete

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