Buddha Hill in Hokkaido

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The Hill of the Buddha (頭大仏, Atama Daibutsu), located in Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo, Hokkaido, is a striking fusion of architecture, nature, and spirituality designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando .

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🌿 What makes it unique
• It was completed in December 2015 and surrounds a pre-existing 13.5 m tall stone Buddha, sculpted around 2000 .
• The statue is enveloped in an artificial concrete hill, planted with about 150,000 lavender shrubs .
• Only the Buddha’s head peaks above the hill; the rest is revealed through a dramatic 40 m tunnel, opening into a rotunda where visitors gaze up at the statue with sky framing its head .

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🌸 Seasonal Beauty
• Summer (July): Lavender blooms turn the mound into a purple carpet, filling the air with fragrance—ideal for photos .
• Winter: Snow blankets the hill, leaving just the head visible—creating a surreal, serene scene ().

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🛕 Spiritual Experience
• At the entrance, a water garden acts as a ritual boundary—marking the transition into sacred space .
• Inside, you’ll find areas to light incense, write prayers on ema, draw an omikuji (fortune), or attach message lanterns—adding a meaningful cultural layer
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