Pop Japan

The Kamaishi Daikannon is a 48.5-m white statue of the likeness of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. It was built in 1970 by the Myohozan Shakuozenji Temple. Perched over the Kamasaki Peninsula, the Daikannon overlooks the Kamaishi Bay holding a fish to symbolize the goddess watching over Kamaishi's sailors to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Visitors can travel and pay a fee of 100 to 500 yen to explore the statue. The first few floors are places of worship while the last top floors are observation decks for visitors to have a better view. On the first Sunday of June in every year, the Honoo no Saiten festival (Festival of Flame) is celebrated.

The place is open from 9AM to 5PM.

Photo by born1945. Licensed under Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Tags: Kamaishi Daikannon, Kannon, Buddhist, Myohozan Shakuozenji Temple, Kamasaki Peninsula, Kamaishi Bay, Honoo no Saiten festival, Festival of Flame