Ushiku Daibutsu

Incredible park, incredible Buddha statue and overall an incredible visit. Went to the park at the peak of cherry blossom and didn’t have to wait in line for more than 15-20 minutes. The park itself is absolutely incredible with dozens of cherry blossom trees and purple flowers around the nearby pond. The Buddha status itself is simply amazing. Its scale is just massive that it’s actually difficult to comprehend before you see people next to it. The park around the Buddha makes the status stand out, with the amazing nearby ponds with cherry blossom trees and the huge garden where families can sit and gather to the foot of the statue. Overall, an amazing day trip from Tokyo, highly recommended.

The Ushiku Daibutsu is a must-see for anyone visiting Ibaraki Prefecture. The towering bronze statue stands 120 meters tall, making it one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. You can even climb to the observation deck for panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The tallest statue in Japan. This is a statue of standing Buddha. The cherry blossoms around and the lakes with catfish and ducks is such a scenic place. Before the entrance are Japanese food related shops and a lot of vending machines to buy snacks and soft drinks. The gardens have a lot of benches to sit around and relax. Very clean washrooms.

One of the three largest Buddha statues in the world. Very peaceful place. Entrance ¥800, stands a total of 120 metres (390 ft) tall, including the 10 m (33 ft) base and 10 m lotus platform.

One of the tallest statue in the world. The garden surrounding the statue is very peaceful. I had a nice long walk around it. Take note of the bus arrival timings! There are only a few bus departures per day. There is a "monkey show" at the back of the compound. ok some might find this cruel but it is pretty entertaining. I paid 800 yen for the garden as well as to enter the Buddha statue.

Today I went out to the countryside, about an hour and a half from Tokyo, to see what used to be, up until 2008, the biggest statue in the world: the Great Buddha of Daibutsu! One of the sickest experiences I’ve had in Japan. Hardly any tourists, so everyone’s chill. A freaking massive chunk of rock, man. And the inside is just as trippy.

01-01-2026 New year with Buddha☸️ Ushiku Daibutsu (牛久大仏) is a statue, it stands a total of 120 metres tall, including the 10 m base and 10 m lotus platform. It held the record for the tallest statue from 1993 to 2008 and, it is the fifth-tallest statue in the world. Entry free on New Year and fireworks at eve but we didn’t come in night. Must visit place is Ibaraki.

The Big Standing Buddha in this prefecture is a truly stunning and impressive statue. Its sheer size and serene presence leave visitors in awe. One of the highlights is timing your visit perfectly to capture a plane flying by, creating a breathtaking scene against the beautiful sky. However, be prepared for logistics—make sure you plan your transportation carefully. Catching the bus is essential; otherwise, you may face a long wait. Despite this, the experience is undoubtedly worth it for the incredible sights and atmosphere.

This giant Buddhist statue towers above the Ibaraki countryside. At 120 meters tall, it holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest standing bronze statue worldwide. Visitors can go inside the Buddha and take the lift to an observation platform that offers stunning views over the Kanto Plains. The statue also contains a Buddhist Temple, a Buddhist memorial, and an area for practicing Buddhist calligraphy. Outside, there's a garden full of flowers blooming throughout the year. Flowers including hydrangeas, peonies, cherry blossoms and moss phlox, poppies, and cosmos, and more bloom throughout the year. Depending on the season and the type of flower, you can pick some to take home. you're allowed to pick the flowers and keep them as a special souvenir. In early April, the combination of cherry blossoms and pink moss phlox creatues a beautiful scene. Young visitors will delight in the koi pond.

Highest bronze statue in the world and highest Buddha in Japan. Amazing! Make sure to buy a ticket and see the inside. Be aware its a temple inside, so you need to take off your shoes everywhere inside! They provide bags for your shoes. Beautiful and very impressive!

Wonderful spot for a family day trip! The massive Daibutsu statue is amazing. The kids loved the monkey and magician shows, and the petting animal zoo was a big hit! Don't forget to try the delicious soft cream 🍦! Tickets are only sold at the entrance, but it's quick and easy. No need for advance tickets. Highly recommended for a fun family day out!

While some reviews mention a negative atmosphere or vibe, my wife and I didn't feel that way and really enjoyed our visit. We went on 10 April 2024 and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom as well as the beautiful bright pink flowers surrounding the pond that represents the pool of life. The statue itself is very impressive...almost awe-inspiring...as you get closer you can look up and realize just how massive it is. The park and Japanese garden are also very enjoyable to walk through and explore. If I had planned better I would have brought a blanket for a picnic!

Japan's tallest buddha statue, 120m tall. Taller than New York Statue of Liberty. majestic, breathtaking. U can take an elevator inside the statue core up to somewhere around the chest height of the statue. But getting down you will need to take the staircase. Inside the statue there are various displays such as the construction stages/structure of the statue, history of buddhism, japanese artworks and shops selling souvenirs. There is a local public bus that goes there from Ushiku JR Station's bus station platform 2. Takes 20 mins one way. Board the bus with Suica card or cash. It cost 800 Yen to enter the area and visit the big buddha statue. There are some shops selling snacks and small food items suitable as gift near the entrance/exit. The bus stop back to nearest JR station (Ushiku) is just opposite of the road in front of the big buddha statue. During spring, the sea of cherry blossom around the big buddha statue will bloom and will be spectacular.

A nice peacful walk to the great Buddha of Ushiku. You can tour the grounds area and ring the bell before you go in. You can head up the Buddha itself and it's air conditioned inside. As you walk inside, you'll come across many Buddhist arts, pictures of the Buddha and history of how the Ushiku Daibutsu was constructed. You'll take an elevator to the top where the head is and you can see the entrance where you walked up from. Other vantage points are all around the head and one of them has Mt Fuji, however you can only see it on a clear day. There's a souvenir shop inside where you can buy things like Buddhist beads, incense, etc. On one of the floors, you'll find family's name plates and they were able to get through donating toward the construction of the Buddha and possibly to that Buddhist Sect. It was a nice tour and there is a shopping mall with restaurants about 5 minutes away that you can go to afterwards.

The Buddha itself is impressive from the outside. However, I wouldn't pay to go inside again - the interior felt underwhelming and had more of an "exit through the gift shop" atmosphere than something memorable.

Ushiku Daibutsu - worth the trip away from the city. I missed going here the first time I visited Japan, but didn’t this trip. Ushiku Daibutsu is a must-visit for anyone interested in culture, history, or simply looking to escape the busy hustle of the city. Highly recommended!

牛久大仏(Ushiku Daibutsu), located in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is one of the largest standing Buddha statues in the world, with a total height of 120 meters. It is about 8 times taller than the Great Buddha of Nara and serves as a striking landmark that can be seen from far away. Visitors can not only admire the statue from the outside but also enter the interior, where an observation deck offers panoramic views of the Kanto Plain. The site also features gardens and seasonal flowers, making it an enjoyable destination even for those who are not particularly interested in religious sites. It is an easy recommendation as a place that is simply worth seeing at least once—and makes for a great conversation topic.

Visited on Wednesday April 9, 2025. Took an hour train ride from Ueno station to Ushiku station, then a half hour bus ride to Ushiku Daibutsu. On weekday, there are only 3 bus rides from Ushiku station (9am, 11am & 1pm). The latest bus ride from Ushiku Daibutsu is 2:30pm. So make sure you don’t miss it. Cherry blossoms were fully bloomed and the moss phlox were about 50% bloomed. Combined ticket set of both garden and inside Buddha’s statue is 800 JPY. Just garden is 500 JPY. But if you bought separately, you paid 400 JPY to view the inside of Buddha statue even if you already paid 500 for the garden. We got there around 9:45am and there were not too many people so we really enjoyed the visit. The Cherry blossoms and the moss phlox were really gorgeous, and the Buddha statue is humongous and beautiful. The visit inside the statue was nice and informative.

It was a crazy experience. Firstly, there is a beautiful park located near the statue of Buddha. Upon entering, you can see a live show and information about the statue of Buddha. The entering fee is ¥900. When you continue walking, you enter a beautiful park with lots of greenery and flowers. There is a lake and a pond nearby with a lot of fish and other species. There is also a small forest nearby with a lot of birds. I was shocked that you can also enter the Buddha statue. Once you enter the statue, you get to go up till his heart. The line for the lift which takes you up there is very huge. There are several temples located inside the statue of Buddha and there is a lot of information about it. It’s a magnificent place.

This place is humbling at a minimum. Im not sure what I expected when we went. But it wasn't what we found. The scale is so incredibly huge Im not sure I can explain it. The feeling you get here is something you can only experience by being there. It was nearly empty when I went (late December) which made it very nice. But, I can only imagine the beauty in the spring.In fact, I will be coming back in the Spring just to see this place. The staff here were very warm and welcoming.

It's a great place for a travellers. The place is really nostalogic. I take a journey in the elevator. Wow i feel i am in a heaven. Lots of buddha statue are in the body of buddha. I pray here and wanna go agin there in my life.

I am obsessed with giant Buddha statues and this one did not disappoint. It is stunning from afar and even more stunning up close. Inside is beautiful too. There is a small souvenir shop while you're waiting for an elevator. It gets crazy busy on weekends, almost missed my flight because waiting for an elevator to go down took forever.

We Visited on the Rainy day. It was so peaceful and it’s matched beautiful scenery with the enormous Buddha statue. We been there so many times for the last 10 years it always gives us a calming and peaceful atmosphere every time we visit. The surroundings garden also has the seasonal flowers.So i’m highly recommend to the people who seeks for the inner peace and charming😇😇😇

After visiting the Kamakura Buddha, I highly recommend making a stop at the Ushiku Daibutsu. It’s a serene and tranquil spot where you can enjoy feeding the adorable fish and ducks up close. For the best experience, I suggest visiting during the beautiful seasons of autumn or spring 🥰.Just be mindful of the transportation, as the bus schedule can sometimes be a little confusing, and you might risk missing your ride. Aside from that, it’s truly a wonderful place that’s definitely worth a visit at least once. 🙆🥰

You know when i entered the place and saw the statue from afar i was like damn that's huge but what i never expected was it to be almost 3 times bigger than the statue of liberty...that's massive and i also love the garden places they're so pretty ❤️

Huge Buddha statue (120 meters) in Ibaraki Prefecture. It was stunning, and I really loved it. You can go inside if you pay an extra 300 yen, which is really worth it. Keep in mind that on weekdays you may have to wait 2–3 hours for the bus to and from Ushiku Station.