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Ibaraki 🛕 Temple 📷 7

Ushiku Daibutsu

牛久大仏

A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season April (blossom) and mid-November–early December (foliage)
Time needed 45–90 minutes
Admission Roughly ¥300–800 for halls and gardens (≈ $2–5)
Opening hours Typically 8:30–17:00 (shorter in winter)

What this place is

Ushiku Daibutsu (牛久大仏) is a statue located in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Completed in 1993, it stands a total of 120 metres (390 ft) tall, including the 10 m (33 ft) base and 10 m lotus platform. It held the record for the tallest statue from 1993 to 2008 and as of 2023, it is the fifth-tallest statue in the world. An elevator takes visitors up 85 m (279 ft) to an observation floor. The statue depicts Amitabha Buddha and is made of bronze. It is also known as Ushiku ARCADIA (Amida's Radiance and Compassion Actually Developing and Illuminating Area). It was built to commemorate the birth of Shinran, founder of the Jōdo Shinshū 浄土真宗 or "True Pure Land School" of Buddhism.

Ushiku Daibutsu (牛久大仏) is one of the standout places to visit in Ibaraki. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
  • Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
  • Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.

What you can do here

  • Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
  • Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
  • Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
  • Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

Getting there by public transport

  1. JR Joban to Ushiku + bus, or taxi ~15 min.
  2. Nearest station/stop: Ushiku.

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
  • Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
  • Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.

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