Nagahama Biwako Daibutsu, Buddhist monument in Nagahama, Japan

Nagahama Biwako Daibutsu is a 28-metre bronze standing statue of Amida Nyorai at Ryochu-ji temple in Shimosakahamacho, Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture. It is the second statue on the site, completed in 1994; the first, the 27-metre concrete Gokoku Amida Nyorai of 1937, was dismantled in 1992 and buried in the temple grounds, where a memorial tower now stands.

The first statue, named Gokoku Amida Nyorai, was a 27-metre concrete Amida Buddha raised on the wish of the monk Giten of Ryochu-ji and completed in April 1937. Ageing led to a decision in 1981 to rebuild it; it was dismantled in March 1992 and its remains were buried in the temple grounds, where a memorial tower stands. The bronze replacement, 28 metres tall, was completed and consecrated in 1994.

The statue is the second on the site: the first, a 27-metre concrete Amida named Gokoku Amida Nyorai, was consecrated in 1937 and dismantled in 1992. Its remains were buried in the temple grounds, where a memorial tower now stands. The current 28-metre bronze figure was consecrated in 1994 at Ryuchu-ji.

The monument is easily accessible at 86 Shimosakahamacho, Nagahama, with adequate space for visitors to walk around and view it from different angles. For current information about ceremonies or special events, contact the site directly by phone.

The current bronze figure is the second statue on this site. The first, a 27-metre concrete Amida named Gokoku Amida Nyorai, was completed in 1937 but deteriorated; it was dismantled in 1992, and its remains were buried in the temple grounds, where a memorial tower now stands.