Sendai Daikannon, Buddhist statue in Izumi-ku, Japan.
Sendai Daikannon is a white Kannon figure in Izumi-ku, Japan, rising 100 meters (328 feet) tall. The sculpture shows the deity holding a jewel in the right hand and wearing a crown adorned with small Buddhas.
The sculpture was built in 1991 as part of a temple and stands on a hill outside central Sendai. The structure remained standing without major damage during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The name Daikannon combines the honorific for the compassion deity Kannon with the word for large or great. Visitors walk through twelve floors inside the figure, each one displaying small carved figures that follow the path of Buddhist teaching.
Visitors can climb up inside and look through windows at Sendai and the surrounding mountains. The interior shows different levels with Buddhist objects along the way up.
The first major renovation in 2023 included cleaning and repairing surface cracks by climbers. The white coating of the figure is refreshed regularly to maintain its bright appearance.
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