Ushiku Daibutsu

Ushiku Great Buddha

Japanese: 牛久大仏
250px
Year	1993
Type	Statue
Dimensions	120 m (390 ft) high
Location	Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan

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 10m lotus platform. 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.

Details

• Weight: 4,003 tonnes (8,825,000 lb)
• Length of Left Hand: 18.00 m (59.06 ft)
• Length of Face: 20.00 m (65.62 ft)
• Length of Eye: 2.55 m (8.4 ft)
• Length of Mouth: 4.5 m (15 ft)
• Length of Nose: 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
• Length of Ear: 10.00 m (32.81 ft)
• Length of the First Finger: 7.00 m (22.97 ft)

Inside the statue itself is a four story building, which serves as a kind of museum.

Level 1, Infinite Light and Infinite Life 

The first floor lobby is dark, and as you enter music floats toward you from the darkness. In the center of the room a single shaft of light shines from above onto a cauldron of smoking incense. Beyond it is the elevator to the other floors.

Level 2 (10.0 m), World of Gratitude and Thankfulness 

Mostly dedicated to scriptural studies

Level 3 (20~30.0 m), World of the Lotus Sanctuary 

3000 samples of gold Buddha statues

Level 4 (80~85.0 m), Room of Mt. Grdhrakuta 

Also on the fourth floor are windows looking out from the buddha's chest onto the adjacent flower garden and small animal park.

See also

• Daibutsu
• Kōtoku-in, temple in Kamakura, home to second largest seated bronze Buddha statue in Japan.
• Tōdai-ji, temple in Nara, home to largest seated bronze Buddha statue in Japan.
• Leshan Giant Buddha in China, the tallest stone Buddha sculpture in the world.
• Tian Tan Buddha, located in Hong Kong, world's tallest seated Buddha statue.
• List of statues by height, many of which are Buddhist statues

External links

• Official website
• Ushiku Daibutsu on YouTube

Records
Preceded by Sendai Daikannon 100 m (328 ft)	World's tallest statue 1993–2002	Succeeded by Spring Temple Buddha 128 m (420 ft)