Ushiku Daibutsu: the 120 metre Great Buddha, an hour from Tokyo
Rising out of the fields of Ibaraki, Ushiku Daibutsu is a standing bronze Buddha 120 metres tall including its base, one of the tallest statues in the world. Photographs do not prepare you for the scale. It is about an hour from Tokyo by car, and much harder to reach by train, which keeps it far quieter than the famous temples.
The statue
Completed in 1993, the Buddha is Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light, with one hand raised. The statue alone is a hundred metres high, standing on a twenty metre base, and it is so large that the face is more than ten metres long. From the approach through the gardens it grows on the horizon long before you reach it.
Inside the Buddha
A lift carries you up inside the statue to an observation floor about 85 metres high, where small windows in the chest look out over the plain, as far as Mt Tsukuba and, on clear winter days, Mt Fuji. The lower floors hold a hall of incense and light and a room of thousands of small golden Buddha statues.
The gardens around it
The Buddha stands in large grounds with seasonal flower gardens, ponds with koi, and a small animal park that children enjoy. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons; in summer there is little shade, and winter brings the clearest views from the top. Allow about two hours on site.
Getting there, and combining it
Ushiku is about an hour from central Tokyo by car on the Joban Expressway. By train you reach Ushiku station in about an hour, but the statue is still a long bus ride away, with few buses. A day can add Mt Tsukuba, with its cable car and views, about an hour north, or end at Kairakuen garden in Mito in plum blossom season.
By car, and the price
This is one of the clearest cases for a car near Tokyo: door to door in an hour, no bus to wait for, and time for Mt Tsukuba in the same day. An eight hour day from your Tokyo hotel is from ¥126,000 for the Toyota Alphard with up to four guests, with tolls, parking and fuel included. Your chauffeur can speak English, Italian, Spanish, French or Japanese, at the same price.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is Ushiku Daibutsu?
120 metres including its base: the bronze statue is 100 metres and stands on a 20 metre base.
How do I get to Ushiku Daibutsu from Tokyo?
About an hour by car on the Joban Expressway. By train, go to Ushiku station on the JR Joban line, then take a bus; buses are infrequent.
Can you go inside Ushiku Daibutsu?
Yes. A lift takes you to an observation floor about 85 metres up, with windows in the chest of the statue.
How long do you need at Ushiku Daibutsu?
About two hours, including the inside of the statue and the gardens.