The Great Buddha of Kamakura

If you venture just south of Tokyo to the ancient capital city of Kamakura, you’ll find the “Great Buddha” or Daibutsu statue, one of Japan’s most famous cultural treasures.

Looming large against the sky at an impressive 11.4 meters (37.4 feet) tall, the bronze-cast Great Buddha is the second largest Buddha statue in Japan, second only to that of Todaiji temple in Nara. But, unlike the statue in Nara, the Kamakura Buddha is situated outside in the open air and elements where it has withstood centuries of typhoons and other natural forces. 

As an enduring symbol of spirituality and resilience, the Great Buddha is an iconic landmark that draws Buddhist practitioners and tourists from around the world each year.

History of the Great Buddha

The origins of the Great Buddha date back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), a time when Buddhism was flourishing in Japan. At that time, the city of Kamakura also served as the capital of Japan.

As the story goes, Yoritomo Minamoto, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, and his wife Masako attended the inauguration of the reconstruction of the Nara Daibutsu in 1195. After seeing the colossal statue, it was Minamoto’s wish to build a similar landmark in Kamakura. However, he didn’t live to see it through, dying a few short years later in 1199. 

After his death, Minamoto’s courtesan, Inada, asked a priest named Joko to go across the country and solicit donations for the project, which he did, with the approval of Masako.

The first iteration, constructed of wood, was completed in 1238, but was destroyed less than a decade later in 1247 by a violent storm. After a renewed effort by Inada and Joko, construction of a bronze statue was then finished in 1252. It is this same statue that stands today.

The bronze statue was initially enshrined within a massive wooden hall. Over the centuries, this structure was repeatedly damaged by natural disasters. In 1335 a ferocious storm swept into Kamakura causing the original hall to collapse. The hall was rebuilt, but would again be leveled by a natural disaster. In 1495, the region suffered a catastrophic earthquake and subsequent tsunami, causing significant damage to the building. Miraculously, the statue was left intact.

Eventually, the hall was left unreconstructed, leaving the Buddha statue to sit in the open air, where it remains today.

Kotoku-in Temple

Kotoku-in Temple, located in Kamakura, is the home of the Great Buddha. Founded in the Kamakura period, the temple belongs to the Jodo sect of Buddhism. Jodo practitioners emphasizes the worship of the Amida Buddha, as a path to salvation and enlightenment. This form of Pure Land Buddhism was particularly popular in the Kamakura period, when the Great Buddha was built.

The teachings of Kotoku-in and the values of Jodo Buddhism have a direct connection to the Great Buddha’s construction. The Amida Buddha symbolizes compassion and salvation, qualities that were believed to be especially significant during times of political turmoil and natural disasters, as Japan frequently faced both during this period. As a testament to these teachings, the Great Buddha of Kamakura is revered not only as a masterpiece of religious art but also as a symbol of hope and resilience.

Tourism and Influence

Today, the Great Buddha of Kamakura is one of Japan’s most treasured historical and cultural landmarks. Officially designated a National Treasure in 1958, the statue holds both religious significance and cultural pride for Japan. 

The Great Buddha also plays a significant role in Japan’s tourism industry. Each year, visitors from around the world are drawn to Kamakura to admire the statue and explore its serene surroundings. To the right of the Buddha hangs a pair of 1.8 meter-long warazori straw sandals. Thesewere originally woven by japanese children in 1951. They are renewed every three years in the hope that the Buddha will use them to stride across Japan.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura continues to serve as a cultural bridge for people of all different heritages and religious backgrounds to engage with Japan’s spiritual and historical heritage.

More from Still Sitting: “Hotei the Laughing Buddha” and “Kuan Yin Statues and Iconography”

A note on our research and sources

Still Sitting is committed to writing and researching informative, engrossing, and accurate articles for our blog. We know there are many places to find information online. So, we work hard to ensure that we are a trusted source for all of our readers. Our blog is intended to help you learn about our products and the cultural and historical subjects that we hold dear. As part of this commitment, we include the sources we used to write our posts:

Kotoku-In Temple Website
Kamakura Today
Japan National Tourism Organization
Atlas Obscura
Britannica: Amitabha