August 2005

WIN Staff--Translated by Julian Richards

If a Buddhist statue exceeds the height of“joroku" (4.85 meters),
which is said to be the height of the Buddha, it is called
a“Daibutsu” (literally, Big Buddha).
The biggest Daibutsu in the world is “Rakuzan-Daibutsu” in China’s Szechwan Province. It was built in the 9th century and is 71 meters tall. In Bamiyan, Afghanistan there was “Nishi-Daibutsu” which was built in the 6th or 7th century. In 2001 it was destroyed by the Taliban. It was 55 meters tall.

The biggest Daibutsu in Japan is at Todaiji Temple in Nara. It was built in 749 and is 15 meters tall. The Kamakura Daibutsu built in 1238 is also famous. It is 11.5 meters tall.
In the grounds of Muryokoji, one of the temples in Wakayama city, there is the head of a Daibutsu. It is 2.7 meters tall. It is only the head, but if you were to add a body, it would be in the same league as the Daibutsu at Kamakura.
In around 1730, villagers built a complete joroku Buddha (not just the head) at Daifukuji, one of the old branch temples of Muryokoji. But in 1835 there was a fire at the temple and the joroku Buddha burned up. When the grief-stricken villagers pulled themselves together, they endeavored to build a Daibutsu that would rival that of Kamakura. First they melted enough bronze to make just the head and cast it. It was completed in 1840. Many times they tried to add a torso and complete the project, but because of budgetary concerns their plan never came to fruition. Eventually Daifukuji.
was shut down and in 1907 the head was moved to the main temple, what is now Muryokoji
The head is said to make wishes come true, so students taking tests often visit the temple.

Muryokoji
Address: 5-1-35 Fukiage, Wakayama city Phone: 073-423-5738
Access: A ten minute walk from the Wakayama Bus Komatsubara 5 chome bus stop
Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission: Free Parking: Free
It is south of the Public Office, Insurance Center on the “Living Map Wakayama City”, second corner on the right.
http://www.wakayama-info.net/livingmap/index.html

Posted on August 2005 in the following categories: Places