What other travelers are saying about Kamaishi Daikannon
Exquisite scenery, gorgeous Temples and one fantastic Dai-Kannon !! This temple complex is really amazing and blessed with spectacularly soaring views of Kamaishi bay. The Dai-kannon is wonderfully well done & a treat to explore and it also has a cafe' & gift shop. The adjacent Buddhist building holds some incredible art & relics and is definitely worth a look too :)
Built in 1970, this treasure is worth the trip. The surrounding area is quite stunning. It is near the coast with a lovely view. I was able to climb up and learn a lot from the museum inside. Most of all, I was blown away by the original 33 Kannon sculptures. Each one is so expressive and says so much about the function and personality of each iteration of the Bodhisattva. I was quite moved and want to learn more. It seemed like the same sculptor created the seven lucky gods. Everything inside is very unique and stylish. I don’t see works like that in other similar places of worship that I have visited. Truly unique. Thank you 🙏🎉😄
Beautiful, fascinating dai-kannon. Temple grounds are beautiful, and clean. You can climb stairs inside for a beautiful view from the top - along the way there are things to see (and I am forgetting what they are called but will fix in a future edit) and it is well worth an hour of your time.
Yes, visitors can enter and climb through the statue's interior, which is divided into 13 stories. The climb takes you past the Seven Lucky Gods statues on floors four through ten, with an observation deck located on the 11th and 12th floors. The first three floors contain a hall of worship and 33 Kannon statues.
From Kamaishi Station, you can take a taxi for approximately 10 minutes at a cost of around 1,500 yen one way. Alternatively, take the Iwateken Kotsu Bus for 11 minutes to Kannon Iriguchi bus stop, then walk for 10 minutes. By car from Tono IC on the Kamaishi Expressway, the journey takes about 60 minutes.
Admission fees are 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for junior and senior high school students, and 100 yen for elementary school students. Group discounts are available for groups of 20 or more visitors.
Adjacent to the Daikannon is a stupa built in Indo-Sri Lankan style that enshrines Buddha's ashes, donated by Sri Lanka in 1975. The basement of this temple building displays statues of the founders of various Japanese Buddhism sects. The site also features a heart-shaped monument and a "bell of wishes," as it was designated a sacred place for lovers in 2016.
