The
Great Buddha
Kamakura
This
bronze statue of Amita Buddha was cast in 1252 A.D. by the sculptors
Ono-Goroemon and Tanji-Hisatomo at the request of Miss Idanono-Tsubone
and Priest Joko, who not only originated the idea of building
this large statue and the temple covering it, but also collected
donations for it. In 1498, a tidal wave swept away the great
temple of the Buddha, leaving only the foundation stones. In
the 500 years since then, the holy statue has been exposed to
sunshine, storms, and snow. The latest repair was done in 1960-
1961, to strengthen the Buddha's neck and to make it possible
for the Buddha's body to move freely on the base to prevent
a damaging shock to the statue in case of an earthquake. The
statue is 13.35 meters tall, and weighs 121 tons. Kotokuin
