The Gifu Great Buddha is housed at Shoboji Temple, a temple of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism located in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture. This seated statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is counted among Japan’s Three Great Buddhas and is particularly remarkable for its immense size and distinctive construction.
Completed in 1832 after 38 years of work, the statue was created using the dry-lacquer technique. It stands 13.63 meters tall, with a face measuring 3.63 meters in length and eyes measuring 66 centimeters. It is recognized as the largest Buddha statue of its kind in Japan.
A statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Medicine and Healing, is enshrined inside the Great Buddha. The Buddha’s gentle expression and dignified presence, together with the quiet atmosphere of the Great Buddha Hall, create a peaceful setting for reflection.
The project began during the late Edo period, around the Kansei era, when the 11th head priest of Kinpozan Shoboji Temple, Priest Iichu, was deeply troubled by a series of major earthquakes and devastating famines. He resolved to build a great statue of Shakyamuni Buddha to pray for the repose of those who had died.
Around 1791, he began collecting Buddhist scriptures to be incorporated into the statue. Gathering enough texts proved difficult, so he traveled to various regions, relying on alms-seeking and donations to obtain them.
By 1800, the hall had been completed and only the Buddha’s head had been finished. Priest Iichu died in 1815 before he could complete the project, and construction was suspended for a time.
His successor, Priest Koshu, the temple’s 12th head priest, took up the work and continued the project. Thirteen years later, in April 1832, the Great Buddha was finally completed. In total, the undertaking had taken 38 years.
The Gifu Great Buddha was constructed using an unusual combination of natural materials and traditional craftsmanship. Its central support is a large ginkgo tree trunk measuring approximately 1.8 meters in circumference, with a wooden framework forming the basic structure.
The outer framework was made using high-quality bamboo and clay. Sheets of Mino washi paper bearing Buddhist scriptures were then pasted over the surface, followed by layers of lacquer and gold leaf to create the statue’s magnificent finish.
The head priest is said to have recited Buddhist scriptures while applying each sheet of paper by hand. Because the statue’s framework resembles a basket, it is also known as the “Basket Buddha.” Approximately 40,000 volumes’ worth of Buddhist scriptures are said to have been used in its construction.
A statue of Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined within the Great Buddha as an inner Buddhist image. According to tradition, this statue was originally the principal image of an earlier Shoboji Temple, known as Reishozan Shoboji, which belonged to the Toki clan.
The original temple stood beneath Kawa-de Castle in the former Atsumi District of Mino Province, in what is now Shoboji-cho, Gifu City. The temple no longer exists, but the Yakushi Nyorai statue has been preserved. Tradition attributes its creation to the Heian-period Buddhist monk Ennin, also known as Jikaku Daishi.
The Gifu Great Buddha is a remarkable example of traditional Japanese Buddhist art and craftsmanship. Its impressive scale, distinctive dry-lacquer construction, and centuries-old religious traditions make it an important cultural attraction in Gifu City.
Inside the quiet Great Buddha Hall, visitors can appreciate the statue’s gentle expression and the remarkable techniques used to create it. A visit offers an opportunity to discover an unusual aspect of Japan’s Buddhist heritage while enjoying a moment of calm and contemplation.