In Japanese, だいぶつ means, “great buddha”. In many parts of Japan, you’ll see countless buddha statues where people flock to give offerings, pray or just admire the statue as a work of art. The statues we’ll talk about today are one of the largest, tallest and well known buddha statues of Japan.

The Ushiku Daibutsu (牛久大仏) is located in Ushiku (牛久) Japan, in Ibaraki prefecture (茨城県). Reaching 120 meters, (394 feet) this statue is Japan’s tallest buddha statue. There are four floors inside the statue, where you can see smaller statues of the buddha, learn more about Buddhist scriptures and view the outside world and everything below it from eighty five meters off the ground.

The Daibutsu of Kamakura (鎌倉) in Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川) is 13.35 meters (44 feet). The statue was originally built inside a temple, but the temple was washed away in a tsunami in the 1498. Since the tsunami, only the bronze statue has remained. Small repairs to prevent the statue from corroding from the wind and rain have been made. Tourists can also visit the inside of the statue, which happens to be hollow.

The Daibutsu of Nara (奈良) in Nara Prefecture (奈良県) is 14.98 meters tall (49 feet) and housed in Todai Temple (東大寺). Over the centuries, the bronze statue has suffered from damage caused by earthquakes. In fact, in 855 A.D. the head of the statue fell to the ground. This was considered an ominous sign to the reigning emperor. Therefore the head was quickly repaired to prevent bad luck.

The Daibutsu of Gifu (岐阜) in Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県) is 13.7 meters (45 feet). The statue is housed in Shouhou Temple (正法寺). The statue is also known as the “Basket Buddha” because of the way it was constructed. The buddha was formed from bamboo and covered with clay. Then Buddhist sutras were laid upon the clay, giving the buddha a basket type texture.

The daibutsus of Japan are one of the most traditionally iconic images you’ll see in Japan. Even non-worshippers travel to see these towering and beloved icons!