buddha.

Meet The Great Buddha!

Buddha's sandals in case he decides to walk away

The Great Buddha is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall. However, the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open air. 

Nearly everyone who talked to us about this statue mentioned that this is where President Obama visited when he was in Japan recently. He also enjoyed a green tea ice cream cone at the temple... they are all over in that area! I tried one... it was pretty tasty despite the fact that I was already cold from being out in the wind!