Great Buddha of Kamakura
EasternBuddhistbuildingEast Asia1252 CE - 1252 CE
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Location
Modern Name
Kamakura
Country
Japan
Region
East Asia
Coordinates
35.3167, 139.5500
Era
1252 CE - 1252 CE
Site Type
Building
About
A 13.35-meter hollow bronze Amitabha Buddha (Kotoku-in Daibutsu) seated in the open air at Kotoku-in Temple after its wooden housing was destroyed by a 1498 tsunami.
Significance
One of Japan's most recognizable religious icons and a symbol of Japanese Buddhism; second-largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan after Todai-ji.
History & Historical Arc
Construction began in 1252 under Minamoto no Yoritomo's patronage; originally housed in a wooden hall destroyed by natur…
Archaeological Notes
The statue is hollow; visitors can enter the interior chamber. Inscribed bronze tablets inside record its founding histo…
Key Features & Structures
- 13.35m seated bronze Amitabha
- Hollow interior (visitor access)
Visitor Information
Open daily; interior viewing available for a small fee. Reached by a 10-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoden line…
Related Figures
Minamoto no YoritomoPriest Joko
In the Bible
Source References
- Kotoku-in Temple records
- Coaldrake, William. 'Architecture and Authority in Japan' (1996)