Towering over Ushiku city in the middle of Ibaraki prefecture, is a 120 meter (390ft) tall statue of a buddha made of bronze. You can’t drive through Ibaraki and not stop to visit if you’re on a trip. After all, the Ushiku Daibutsu is the tallest statue in Japan.
But it’s more than just a tall statue you can see from afar. After all, who would spend that much money on just a statue? No, it’s a whole exhibit, botanical garden and temple in one. The Ushiku Daibutsu is just the showy part of the entire experience.
What is the Ushiku Daibutsu?
The Ushiku Daibutsu is a colossal statue of Amitabha Buddha, a primary Bodhisattva in the Buddhist religion.
Upon its completion in 1993, it dethroned the Sendai Daikannon as the tallest statue in Japan which it holds to this day. It also held the title of world’s tallest statue until February 2008 when the Laykyun Sekkya was completed in Myanmar.
Inside the Ushiku Daibutsu are 5 floors of Buddhist exhibits and an observatory 85m (278ft) high for you to discover for ¥800. If you don’t care to go inside, you can gaze at its magnificence while walking around its surrounding garden for ¥500.
If you decide go up to the observatory in the Buddha’s chest, you could see all the way to Mt. Fuji and the Tokyo Sky Tree on a clear day.
Should you choose to skip the Daibutsu and visit the garden, make sure to look for the petting zoo and take a moment to relax by the pond. Maybe buy some fish food for ¥100 and feed the carp in the pond? It’s not often you get to appreciate a serene sight like this.
I do wanna stress, you don’t need any interest in Buddhism to appreciate the garden’s tranquil healing or the impressive human feat of engineering it took to erect a 4000 tonne bronze statue. Without the Daibutsu, the garden would still be an iconic attraction on its own but you’d never bother to stop, would you?
How much does it cost to visit the Daibutsu?
| Access Tickets | Regular | 4 and under |
|---|---|---|
| Access to the whole area | ¥800 | ¥400 |
| Access to the garden only | ¥500 | ¥300 |
| Access to the whole area (groups of 15+) | ¥700 | ¥350 |
| Access to the garden only (groups of 15+) | ¥400 | ¥200 |
| Access to the whole area (disability) | ¥600 | ¥300 |
| Access to the garden only (disability) | ¥400 | ¥200 |
By the way, the parking is free so if you’re driving there you’re losing money if you skip the experience.
FAQ
What does the Ushiku Daibutsu represent?
The Ushiku Daibutsu represents Amithabha Buddha (Amida Butsu/Nyorai in Japanese), one of the sixteen great Bodhisattvas within Buddhism.
Which is the tallest Buddha statue in the world?
The tallest Buddha statue in the world is the Spring Temple Buddha dedicated to Vairocana located in Lushan city, Henan, China.
If you’ve had the chance to visit both the Sendai Daikannon and the Ushiku Daibutsu, which did you prefer? And more importantly, which attraction was more memorable to you?
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