Ushiku Daibutsu

Kanto, Japan · Town / small city

The Ushiku Daibutsu, a standing bronze statue 120m tall and one of the tallest in the world: you go inside it, an elevator rises to an observation deck 85m up, and a corridor runs past nearly 3,400 small gilded Buddhas. Around it, a garden with seasonal flowers, a koi pond, and a petting area with free-roaming rabbits plus goats and sheep to feed.

The essentials

Getting there

Train — JR Joban Line from Tokyo/Ueno to Ushiku Station, ~1h, ¥1,040, + bus to the Buddha itself (20-25min): ¥560 on weekends (hourly departures) or ¥730 on weekdays (only every 2 hours — worth planning around). Taxi alternative, ~¥3,500-4,000.

Frequently asked questions about Ushiku Daibutsu

What to do in Ushiku Daibutsu: 15 activities

• Ushiku Daibutsu 1.5 h must-see

  A 120-meter standing bronze statue, one of the tallest in the world, with an interior elevator to an observation deck 85 metres up and a corridor lined with nearly 3,400 small golden Buddhas.

• Inside the Great Buddha 1 h

  You go inside the statue: five floors, a lift up to a viewing platform at 85 metres at chest height, and a dimly lit hall with some 3,400 small gilded Buddhas lit up.

• Ushiku Chateau, Japan's first winery 2 h

  Founded in 1903 by Kamiya Denbei, it was the country's first large-scale commercial winery; three of its brick buildings are Important Cultural Properties and are open to visitors along with the old fermentation hall and a museum devoted to its founder.

• Cycling loop around Lake Ushiku-numa 2 h

  A flat circuit of about 16 km around a shallow lake of reeds and birds, tied to the local kappa legends.

• Illuminated New Year before the Buddha 2 h only the night of 31 December to 1 January

  The first visit of the year is marked with the statue illuminated and fireworks, an unusual sight in the middle of the Japanese winter.

• Miso fermented in cedar barrels 1 h

  A miso house that still ferments in large cedar barrels by the natural method, with miso sweets as a souvenir.

• Petting zoo area 1 h

  A small area behind the complex with free-roaming rabbits and goats, sheep, and Patagonian maras to feed.

• Seasonal flower garden 1 h

  A garden around the Buddha with flowers by season (cherry blossoms in spring, poppies in summer, cosmos in autumn) and a koi pond.

• Sutra copying inside the Buddha 1 h

  A shakyo session (copying sutras with a brush) of twenty minutes to an hour inside the statue, a meditative practice open to anyone.

• Ten thousand lantern ceremony (Obon) 2.5 h only 15 Aug

  At Obon, thousands of lanterns lit for the dead at the foot of the statue and fireworks set off in front of the Buddha.

• The winery's craft brewery and restaurant 1.5 h

  Within the same Meiji-era brick compound, award-winning craft beers and winery cooking under the vaults.

• Ungyotei, home and studio of Ogawa Usen 1 h

  The preserved studio of the painter who made the kappa his recurring subject, beside Lake Ushiku-numa, with his monument to the creature.

• Ushiku Kappa Festival 2.5 h only late July

  In late July, a parade and kappa dance, the water creature the city has adopted as its emblem.

• Apple and blueberry picking 1.5 h

  Orchards on the outskirts where seasonal fruit is picked, a simple activity that works very well with children.

• Ushiku nature observation forest 1.5 h

  A small reserve with trails, a bird hide and an education centre, a short step from the city.

What only happens on specific dates

• Illuminated New Year before the Buddha the night of 31 December to 1 January
• Ushiku Kappa Festival late July
• Ten thousand lantern ceremony (Obon) 15 Aug

Chains well with

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