Not very far from the city center of Aomori, Japan’s largest bronze sitting Buddha statue is quietly sitting in the precinct of Seiryū-ji Temple (青龍寺). The statue is called Showa Daibutsu (昭和大仏). It is the statue of Vairocana (大日如来), completed in 1984. The gigantic statue weighs 220 tons and is 21.35 meters (27 meters if the pedestal is included). Compared to other Buddha statues, Showa Daibutsu has gorgeous decorations on his body.
Table of Contents
- About Seiryū-ji Temple
- Suigatei Garden (酔我庭)
- Seiryū-ji’s Kondō Hall (金堂)
- Seiryū-ji’s Pagoda
- Mizuko-Jizō (水子地蔵) and Bokeyoke Kannon (ボケ観音)
- About Showa Daibutsu
- Shōjin Ryōri (精進料理) at Seiryū-ji
- How to Get to Showa Daibutsu
About Seiryū-ji Temple
Seiryū-ji was founded by Oda Ryūkō (織田隆弘) in 1982 as a branch of Kōyasan (高野山) in Wakayama Prefecture. As a country with hundreds of thousands of temples, you might wonder why Ryūkō thought Japan needed another temple.
While you might not have realized this, the world after the WWII is driven by money. This means most people have less peace of minds. So, he made a wish to the Buddha to build the Showa Daibutsu as a symbol to remind us of the virtue that we shouldn’t lose from Buddha’s teaching, such as honesty and compassion.
Initially, collecting the donations to build the temple was hard. But, as Ryūkō traveled around Japan, more and more people were moved by his calling and supported him. So, in just over five years, Showa Daibutsu was completed in 1984, and the temple’s main hall, Kondō, was completed in 1992.
Seiryū-ji’s Kondō Hall (金堂)
Kondō is the center of Seiryū-ji. The building was completed in 1992 using the natural Japanese Hiba cypress from Aomori Prefecture.
What you also can’t miss out on here is the painting that illustrates the scene where Amida Buddha welcomes the holy spirits to the Pure Land (阿弥陀聖衆来迎大絵図) and the statue where Amida Buddha turns his head (みかえり阿弥陀像). They are both the treasures of Seiryū-ji. So, don’t forget to enter the passageway behind the altar.
When people talk about holy spirits, it might sound like something really far away from us. But in Pure Land Buddhism, holy spirits are something that any of us can become.
Of course, there are criteria. Suppose you are a kind person who has done many good deeds and has a strong will to be born into the Pure Land (of course, you must believe in the existence of the Pure Land first). In that case, Amida Buddha will come and pick you up and guide you to the Pure Land, where you will have eternal life and enjoy eternal joy.
What is the statue that Amida Buddha turns his head trying to convey?
The Buddha turned his head because he heard some noise from that direction while explaining the truth of the world/universe (the 3rd photo in the IG post). So he asked if any latecomers missed out on the Dharma talk earlier.
With his head turning left, the statue is showing us Amida Buddha’s kindness and consideration towards all creatures.
Suigatei Garden (酔我庭)
The garden on the temple’s Chūmon Gate’s left is called Suigatei. It expresses the beauty of the Aomori’s top two natural destinations, Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada.
A part of the medium-sized garden expresses the Flow of Ashura in Oirase Gorge, where water flows fast and violently between the rocks and the trees. However, another part of the garden uses white sand to draw the calm stream flowing in the Ishigedo Stream area.
Seiryū-ji’s Pagoda
The wooden pagoda made of Aomori’s hinoki wood has a height of 39.35 meters, making it the 4th highest wooden pagoda in Japan.
Miraculously, the pagoda completed in 1996 wasn’t destroyed by natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and fire hazards. Even the earthquake of a magnitude of 8.9 that happened in 2011 didn’t manage to knock it down!
Apparently, this is all thanks to the quality of the Hinoki wood and the seismic isolation structure with which the building was built.
Mizuko-Jizō (水子地蔵) and Bokeyoke Kannon (ボケ観音)
On the way to the Showa Daibutsu, you will find two Jizō Bodhisattva statues standing on the side of the road. The Mizuko-Jizō looks after the children who weren’t able to be born into this world. So, you will find many toys, snacks, and pinwheels around them. They were offered by the unborn children’s parents.
Diagonally opposite the Mizuko-Jizō, there is a Kannon Bodhisattva statue called Bokeyoke. The elderly pray to him for a long, healthy life without suffering from dementia.
About Showa Daibutsu
The Showa Daibutsu at the end of the green tunnel formed by vegetation is the highlight of Seiryū-ji. With a height of 21 meters, it is Japan’s tallest bronze Buddha statue. The Vairocana statue is the central Buddha of the highest rank of mandala.
Inside the Buddha statue is a hall for visitors to offer prayers for a peaceful afterlife for the soldiers who passed away in past wars. It is now a place for anyone to pray for world peace. Also, on the first floor, there is a painting with both the Pure Land and hell painted.
The statue is at the far back of the temple’s spacious grounds. To get there, you must first walk past other temples’ buildings and statues.
Shōjin Ryōri (精進料理) at Seiryū-ji
From April to October, if you are with a group of 5 or more, you can reserve to enjoy the vegetarian monk cuisine at the temple.
On top of the meal, you can also enjoy traditional dry confectionary and a bowl of matcha green tea.
The session that starts at 11:15 am will cost 4,200 yen per person. This usually includes listening to the monk talk about Dharma. Obviously, if you don’t understand Japanese, you can check with the temple to see if this can be skipped or replaced with a zen session.
To reserve, please give the temple a call at +81-17-726-2312 at least 1 week in advance. If you don’t speak Japanese and won’t be visiting the temple until later in your trip, you can see if the staff at your hotel on your first night can make the reservation on your behalf.
For some photos of the lunch session, refer to the temple’s website HERE.
How to Get to Showa Daibutsu
- The temple is open from 8 am to 5:30 pm and will close early at 4:30 pm from November to March.
- The admission fee is
- 400 yen for adults
- 200 yen for elementary to high school students
- From Aomori Station (青森駅)’s bus stop no. 3, take buses bound for Kuwabara (桑原) or Showa Daibutsu (昭和大仏) and get off at Kuwabara or Showa Daibutsu.
- From the bus stop Kuwabara, it is less than a 10-minute walk to the temple.
- The bus trip will take around 45 minutes.
- For the service’s timetable, you can refer to the official website’s left menu HERE.
- The first table is for weekdays. The second table is for weekends and public holidays. Both are bound for Showa Daibutsu. The third table is for buses bound for Kuwabara.
Find Out Where Else to Go in Aomori
Aomori City, the capital of Aomori Prefecture, has a wealth of beautiful nature, such as the Hakkōda mountain ranges and Mutsu Bay. Stunning scenery can be adorned throughout the year. In the fall, it is time to find out your favorite kinds of apples!
The city also has a couple of cultural heritages that allow you to enjoy a different side of Japanese culture.
For more information, please refer to our article on Aomori!
