The Sendai Dai-Kannon is a giant statue of the Goddess Kannon from Japanese Buddhism. Standing tall at 100 m (328 ft) on the city’s outskirts, looking towards the city centre, she prays for world peace and prosperity.

Why the Goddess Kannon?

The Goddess Kannon is known for her compassion, mercy, and advocacy for humanity’s peace and prosperity. She has many different aspects, such as the prosperity of fishermen and victims of tsunamis (see Kamaishi Dai-Kannon) or victims of war (see Ryozen Kannon).

Architecture of Sendai Dai-Kannon

The statue was built to exact specifications, representing specific aspects. For example, its height of 100 metres signifies the 100th anniversary of Sendai’s administration as a city (in 1989). Additionally, it has an underground section 21 metres (69 ft) deep, meant to represent lasting peace and prosperity in the 21st century.

When it was completed in 1989, Sendai Dai-Kannon was the tallest statue in the world. It is now the eighth tallest. It is made from white stone and is held in place by an internal timber and metal-reinforced structure.

Inside Sendai Dai-Kannon

The inside of Sendai Dai-Kannon is hollow; it is a completely self-contained Buddhist temple. When you walk in through the mouth of the dragon (a symbol of good luck), you are greeted by two things and more giant statues.

The bottom floor holds statues of the 33 different aspects of the goddess Kannon, all carved from stone along the outer perimeter. Along the inner wall are representations of the Chinese/Japanese zodiac signs. Here are some examples of each:

Once you have visited the ground floor, the next step is to take the elevator up. Unlike other Kannon statues and other Japanese Buddhist walks, which involve performing a more complicated action to prove yourself – usually climbing steps or reaching a high place), at Sendai Dai-Kannon, you do the opposite: climb down the stairs from the top.

The top is where the inner sanctum is, said to be the place where the spirit of Kannon is. This is what it looks like:

The top also has windows in each direction to give you a view of the surroundings. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean and Matsushima. Unfortunately, due to development since the late 1980s, the view is no longer as impressive as it was in the past.

From here, you begin descending the stairs, which go along the outer part of the statue. In the middle is a central pillar, which serves two functions. The first is providing support to the statue. The second is holding the weight of the 108 altars to the various aspects of Kannon and other members of the Buddhist pantheon.

It begins with the 33 aspects of Kannon; there are eight on each floor as you proceed downwards, each with multiple statues. Here are a selection of some of hers:

As you near the bottom, you start finding statues of other Buddhist figures, such as the four heavenly kings and the bodhisattva.

Getting There and Entrance

All in all, it takes about 40 minutes to get there from Sendai Station. You can take three buses: 815, 825 and 910. All lines will drop you in front of Sendai Dai-Kannon. To return, take one of those buses in the same direction.

Entrance for adults costs ¥500, which allows you to explore freely and stay as long as you want.

While there is an elevator to take you to the top and some of the floors, this may be a challenge for those who have limited physical mobility. If you can handle descending approximately 250 stairs, visiting Sendai Dai-Kannon should be fine.

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