Since the Cat Island didn’t work out, I found myself back in Sendai and decided to go to the colossal statue of Daikannon after all.
Unfortunately, the Loople doesn’t go there, so I struggled with public transportation. It was actually the first time I had to take a regular bus in Japan. Sure enough, something went wrong with the Suica. But everyone was very nice and polite.
In and on the Daikannon
The statue stands on a small hill and is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon, a female figure of enlightenment. The statue, erected in 1991, is exactly 100 m high, including the base, and is certainly the most striking point in the entire cityscape. It shines in brilliant white in the sunshine.
On the ground floor, the 33 forms of the Kannon are on the outside wall. On the inside, 12 wooden statues are supposed to represent the heavenly generals or a month of Chinese astrology. I found the latter the most fascinating.
You can take the elevator to the 12th floor and from there, you have a view over Sendai. I didn’t find it any more exciting than from the castle, but that might be due to the time of year. When you then go back down the stairs, you pass a total of 108 Buddha statues, each of which represents a human earthly desire. Finally, you come to the Goshinden, the actual sanctuary.
In addition to the statue, there are smaller shrines and, since the statue is also a place of pilgrimage, various shops for religious items and a huge hotel. But on this day I was almost the only visitor.