Ushiku Daibutsu: The World’s Tallest Buddha

At an unbelievable 120 m (394 ft) high, the Ushiku Daibutsu in Ibaraki is certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest Buddha figure in the world.

To put it’s size in perspective, the aptly nicknamed ‘Big Buddha’ is equivalent to a 38-storey building and is three times the size of the Statue of Liberty.

We decided to stop by on the way back from Hitachi Seaside Park, and were too late to view the statue from inside. On a clear day, though, it is said that Tokyo Sky Tree and Mount Fuji are visible from the highest of the four viewing decks.

The bronze statue is still worth a visit for its sheer enormity and the beautiful seasonal flower gardens and koi ponds that surround its base. There is also a petting zoo to the back of the Daibutsu, although the condition of the animals was a bit unsettling.

The Daibutsu depicts Amitabha Buddha and was built to celebrate the birth of Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism.