[Ibaraki] Sacred, huge, and a little cute! The heart-grabbing Ushiku Daibutsu

The 120m high Ushiku Daibutsu is about three times that of the Statue of Liberty in New York, and the 18m long palm can be topped with the Daibutsu of Nara. Not only is there no sense of intimidation at all, even though it's big enough to freak out, but it also springs a gentle, gentle feeling. I approached the secret of the charm of Ushiku Daibutsu.

At your feet spreads the Pure Land garden, Joju-no-sono. You can also enjoy interacting with small animals.

Approach is powerful

After entering the main gate and walking a short distance, you will see the glass-walled Hakkenmon Gate, which houses the Shaka Triad.

I looked back through the gate and saw the Ushiku Daibutsu on the glass. I was surprised to see the Daibutsu and the Buddha facing each other like this.

As you go straight along the approach, the big buddha is getting bigger and bigger. There is the largest incense burner in Japan on the way, but the big buddha is too huge, and it looks the other way small.

This is the impact when you stand directly underneath him. You can no longer see the whole picture. The palms of his hands are clasped in the "Raigo-in" mudra, the mudra that Amida makes when he comes from the Pure Land to welcome all living beings.

Let's study the basic data of Ushiku Daibutsu!

Before visiting the Buddha's interior, let's look at some basic information about the Great Buddha. Its height is 120m, but the base and lotus pedestal are 20m, so the height of the Buddha itself is 100m. Its face is 20m, so hmm, 5 heads?! No, it looks like it's more like 9 heads. Incidentally, 120m is a number that refers to the 12 powers of Amida Nyorai, the "Twelve Lights." 12m is huge, but 100 times that is amazing. It's impressive. Let's start from the first floor and visit the statue in order.

The first floor "world of light" is a world of light, fragrance and silence

When you enter, there is true darkness. But when the door opens, it suddenly turns into a scene, and the space created by the light expands. The smell of the loth drifting together makes you feel a strange floating feeling.

The second floor "World of Gratitude and Mercy" is a room for copying sutras. The corner on the origins of the Ushiku Buddha is also a must-see.

There are about 70 seats, and you can experience it without a reservation. From the words on the wall, find something to give to your heart, and let's do the sutra in that seat. The fee is 500 yen, and the reception is up to an hour before the closing time.

This is the corner about the origins of the Great Buddha. Panels are on display showing how it was made. This is amazing! I wish I could have seen it live.

The third floor, "Rengezo World," is a dazzling golden paradise.

This is the place that would be called the main hall in a typical temple. It has a solemn atmosphere. The walls are surrounded by about 3,400 golden Buddha statues, which contain a book of Buddhist names that can hold up to seven people, and sutras are recited every day. There were many Asian people visiting the temple. Come to think of it, many of the prayers for rebirth were written in Thai. It seems that the temple attracts faith from all over the world.

Except in bad weather, you can go out to the lotus pedestal. It is about 30m above the ground. If you look up from here, you will see a big boom! It is even more impressive.

You can also have gold leaf applied to the lotus pedestal as an expression of gratitude (500 yen per sheet). It's a rare experience.

The Pure Land garden, Joju-no-sono, spreads out at your feet. You can also enjoy interacting with small animals.

Once you return to ground level by elevator, you can enjoy a stroll around the area. There is the "Daishinkai" where birds and fish swim, the "Gunseikai" which is decorated with cherry blossoms and moss pinks in spring, and the "Flower Garden" where various flowers bloom in every season. You will feel like this is what paradise might be like. On Sundays and public holidays (closed in December and February), the "Petting Zoo" is open, where you can interact with goats, rabbits, spur-legged tortoises, and more. The "Monkey Stage" is open every day except Fridays (only open on Sundays and public holidays in December and February).

■ Ushiku Daibutsu

Address: 2083 Kuno-cho, Ushiku-shi, Ibaraki
TEL: 029-889-2931
Opening hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (Saturday/Sunday, public holidays ~ 17:30, 10 ~ February ~ 16:30), reception is until 30 minutes before closing
Closed: No Closed
Price: 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for children (4 years old to elementary school students), 500 yen for adults only for gardens, 300 yen for children (4 years old to elementary school students)

There were many surprises both inside and outside the temple grounds, but the most surprising thing was when I saw the statue from quite a distance away. I was shocked by its overwhelming size. This is a fresh surprise that you should definitely try.

• This article is created based on the contents of "Rurubu Information Edition" or "Rurubu & more." "Rurubu +".
• The data listed are as of March 2025. Prices, business hours, regular holidays, menus, etc. may change or may not be available due to temporary holidays. Please check in advance when using it, as the content may change.
• The holiday of stores and facilities omits the year-end holiday, Obon holiday, Golden Week, and temporary holidays in principle.
• The published fees are in principle the fee including consumption tax that we have confirmed at the time of the interview, and the entrance fee is the adult fee if there is no special mention.
• In principle, the published times are open (hall) to closed (hall). Please note that the last order or entrance (hall) time is 30 minutes to 1 hour before the normal closing (hall) time. The last order is denoted LO.
• For the spring quality and efficacy of the hot springs listed, manuscripts are prepared based on answers from each facility.