Japan's largest seated bronze Buddha, Aomori
Seiryu-ji Temple in Aomori is home to the Showa Daibutsu, completed in 1984. At 21.35 meters tall and 220 tons, it is the largest seated bronze Buddha statue in Japan — taller than the famous Great Buddhas of Nara and Kamakura.
The statue is hollow, and visitors can go inside. The interior houses a diagram of the six realms of reincarnation and a memorial to the war dead.
The temple grounds also feature a five-story pagoda built in 1996 entirely from Aomori cypress, one of the tallest wooden pagodas in Japan.
What makes the whole complex remarkable is how young it is: the temple was founded in 1982. It is a reminder that monumental Buddhist construction in Japan did not end in ancient times.
This landmark is covered in a Long episode on the Japan in 60 YouTube channel. New Shorts and Long episodes are posted every week.