Great Buddha of Kamakura

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a monumental bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha, sitting in serene meditation since 1252. Standing 13.35 meters tall and weighing 121 tons, the statue originally sat inside a wooden temple hall that was destroyed by a tsunami in 1498. The Buddha has remained outdoors ever since, weathering elements that have given the bronze its distinctive green patina.

The statue was cast in sections and joined together, a technical achievement requiring enormous skill. Visitors can enter the hollow interior through a small door in the back, viewing the casting seams and iron framework that supports the massive head. The serene expression and proportions follow ideals established centuries earlier in continental Buddhist sculpture, adapted for Japanese aesthetics.

The Buddha sits at Kōtoku-in Temple, one of Kamakura's most visited sites.