{"id":16910,"date":"2018-06-29T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T23:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=16910"},"modified":"2020-03-27T10:53:49","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T01:53:49","slug":"utsunomiya-kannon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/utsunomiya-kannon\/","title":{"rendered":"Utsunomiya: Check out a 27-Meter-Tall Stone Haiwa Kannon Statue"},"content":{"rendered":"
Haiwa Kannon<\/strong> is one the best statues in Japan; inviting the same giddy, overwhelming “woah-ness” as the first one I ever saw\u2014the giant, hollow Buddha in Kamakura. Since I\u2019ve never really been a fan of statues, the ability for this one to grab my attention for so long, was nothing short of miraculous. It was a completely unexpected beauty.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In the small town of Oyamachi<\/strong>, Utsunomiya<\/strong>\u00a0stands a massive 27m-tall statue of\u00a0kannon,\u00a0<\/em>hand carved from 1948 to 1954 from a wall of pure Oya stone. Such a stone can only be found naturally in Utsunomiya as it is compiled of the lava and ash from a submarine volcanic eruption some 20 million years ago. Both fireproof and versatile, the stone became very useful for building some rare Mediterranean houses and intricate statues and is also popularly used to carve ornamental garden frogs, gifted as a symbol of good luck.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n This particular statue was made to both commemorate those who had lost their lives in the second world war and a hope for world peace. Despite its epic size, it is a strangely conservative and peaceful statue. In fact, I was actually looking for the statue and had not noticed that all 27 looming meters of it was standing right behind me.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The very moment I set my eyes on it, a peculiar feeling overcame me. I suddenly stopped thinking, stopped moving and found myself simply staring up at the peaceful expression on its 5m-long face, my mouth open slightly, looking like a complete goon. I just couldn\u2019t seem to take my eyes off its mesmerizing features, nor did I want to.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n After a while, I managed to shuffle myself to a nearby bench to resume my relentless gazing, while breathing in the peaceful atmosphere that the statue so perfectly exuded. Without a doubt, it was the longest time I\u2019d ever spent looking at a single statue. It managed to make me feel tiny and insignificant, but at the same time, strangely okay with that sensation. I was consumed by its presence.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n If you can drag your eyes away for long enough, try taking a walk up the stairs next to Kannon. From the top, you can see a full panoramic view of Oyamachi, including Oyaji Temple behind you. You can even get a nice close up of Kannon\u2019s peaceful expression as she gazes in tranquility across the town.<\/p>\n