Tokaishi Big Buddha
I think a lot of people around the world tend to overlook what there is to see or do in their own home towns, none more so than the Japanese I think. Not many people in Aichi prefecture knows about this Big Buddha statue near the Shurakuen station, in the Maruyama Park or Tokai City, a neighboring city of Nagoya.
Tokyobling's Blog 
Interesting, this Buddha has a moustache! What are the 2 guardian guys called? They sure have ripply stomach muscles 0o0
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Many of them have facial hair… not sure if there’s any major religious distinction between the bearded/boyish buddhas though. The demons are guardians, I can’t recall their name of functions right now, but they are usually ripped beyond anything even Schwarzenegger himself could have done! (^-^)
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The two guardians are the “Nio”.
One is Ungyō (mouth closed) and the other one is Agyō (mouth open).
They are Buddha’s “bodyguard” (in short)
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Thank you for the information! I should edit post to include that but I think your comment does it well already! (^-^)
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beautiful, how the light falls through the roof of leaves…
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Thanks you for the kind comment Fritz! Nice shots from Palestine by the way!
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LOVE Buddha looking through the trees- creepy and cool at the same time.
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Thanks! Creepy…? Perhaps a buddha/golem/Godzilla cross over would make for a good indie horror movie concept…? (^-^)
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Beautiful pictures Tokyobling! I love the Buddha with the mustache so unusual!
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Thank you for the kind comment Takenoko! Yes, it’s a little different from the other Daibutsu I’ve seen around the country! (^-^)
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Very nice pictures. Have you ever been to see the Ushiku Daibutsu before? Also, I really love your blog… It makes me wish I could go back so much :3
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Thanks for the kind comment and welcome to Tokyobling! I have been meaning to go see the Ushiku Daibutsu so many times but there’s always something getting in the way of my travel plans… Will have to make sure I visit there this summer! Hope you can come back over here soon! (^-^)
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OMG great pictures
Is this Buddha taller than Daibutsu in Kamakura??? I think not
And this one is more impressive for me 🙂
In temples the guards’divinities are often behind wire nettings, but here there they are terrifying
The third image with these divinities and the summit of the head of Bouddah through the tress frightens me
I would not like to walk there at night! So creepy 😉
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Thanks Lili! Glad you like them! Yes, these guardians were made in concrete so they don’t really warrant the protective net cage I guess. This daibutsu is about 5m taller than the one in Kamakura, but smaller than the most famous one in Nara. They are all made from completely different materials, Kamakura – Bronze, Nara – Wood, Tokaishi – Concrete.
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I may be wrong, but I think that the Daibutsu from Nara is made of bronze too, not wood. It’s the building that houses the statue, the Todai-ji that is made of wood, and is actually the largest wooden structure in the world (and the current one is about 1/3 smaller than the original construction)
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You are right! I remember watching some documentary about the buddha in Nara while half asleep in some lonesome hotel some night a couple of months ago. I might have gotten it mixed up!
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You know it’s getting boring to see everytime those awesome pictures 😉
I’m speech less and can’t found anything more relevant than: WOOOOWWW!!!!!
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Haha… thanks Romain! Glad you enjoy them! I’m sure you would be able to put together a similar set of photos in your hometown…!
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Great pictures and great statue.
It’s definitely in my “to-go” list if I ever go te the area.
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Thanks for the kind words David! Tokaishi isn’t huge on the tourist hit-lists in that area so I am sure they’d love more foreigners showing up! When I went the whole park was almost empty…
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The City of Tokai is primarily an industrial town, kind of a southward extension of the portside districts of Nagoya. One of the main employers is the Nippon Steel Co.
With the proximity to the Centrair it feels like there might be more tourists — but unfortunately almost all Meitetsu trains except for the local services pass this city entirely.
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I felt, when visiting Tokai City, that there is so much more potential to this place. It’s not bad or terribly industrial. Just imagine what it could be like if the used that waterfront property properly! Most of my friends in Nagoya have barely heard of it, even though it is just a few stations down the line on the local trains!
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HAve you ever thought of a tsunami hitting nagoya? this tokai would be devastated and so half of nagoya. when I think of buying property in japan, waterfront is not at the top of my requirements.
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Yes, a major tsunami on the southern coast would be very very bad indeed. But even on the Tohoku coast there were regions that were hardly touched by the tsunami (the famous Matsushima for example). And indeed waterfront property is not on top of the list of Japanese home buyers these days, but it never really was anyway. Nowhere in Japan is really safe, but apparently Saga prefecture has the fewest earthquakes and tsunamis of all of Japan.
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The guardian figure, “Nio”, is an import from Hindu tradition, often translated in English as “Deva King.” The Deva King is said to bring good luck as well as repelling evil spirits. Another well-known Deva King in the area is the one near the Osu Kannon (one of the shopping arcades is called the Nio-mon Dori, i.e. Deva King Gate Street). Back in the 1980s the Osu Ameyoko Building (no relation to Tokyo’s Ameyoko), a local discount store, had this TV commercial featuring a Deva King character.
The Shurakuen Daibutsu is forgotten even by locals — but it is a good alternative to the better-known ones in Kamakura and Nara; and it’s near the Centrair.
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Thank you for all this information Sarah! I must admit to a certain lack of knowledge of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The terminology send me head in a spin…! You must have stayed in Nagoya a long time to know so much about it. Maybe I should ask you to guide me the next time I go there. Or, if you are still there, we would like a Nagoyabling! (^-^)
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I first saw the Shurakuen Diabutsu in 1953 while stationed in Nagoya with the USAF. Upon my return in the 70’s, on Business, no one belived me there was such a Diabutsu there. I have returned in the 80’s and 90’s and was impressed by the new park.
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Thank you for the interesting comment Duncan! I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who noticed that even locals have no idea about this cool statue in the middle of their city!
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