A Buddha statue in the sky peeking out from the lavender hills. A new meditation space in Sapporo🪷💜

📝 Basic information

📍Head Buddha

🏷️ Location: 2-banchi Takino, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (inside Makomanai Takino Cemetery)

✏️ A worship space designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, opened in 2016

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🧱 Features of design and structure

In the center of the worship space embedded in the hills, only the head of the Great Buddha statue, which is 13.5m tall and weighs approximately 1,500t, appears. The surrounding area forms a concrete dome with a diameter of approximately 27m.

Architect Tadao Ando envisioned the sight of looking up at a Buddha statue in the depths of darkness in a stone cave. The gentle tunnel, water garden, and spatial design with light shining through the darkness create a moving introduction.

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🌸 Fusion with lavender

In summer, about 150,000 lavender plants paint the entire hill purple, creating a landscape in which only the head of the Great Buddha appears to be floating above the hill.

The best time to see it is usually from mid-July to late July. The contrast with the blue sky on a sunny day is beautiful, and the photogenic spread is attractive.

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🛕 Visiting and usage information

Opening hours: April to October 9:00 to 16:00, November to March 10:00 to 15:00

Admission fee: 500 yen (entrance to the cemetery is free, but donations such as flower crowns (flowers) are available)

Access: About 25 minutes by bus from Makomanai Station on the Namboku Subway Line. The bus runs about once an hour, and the frequency is low, so it is best to get there early.

Parking: Both the South Parking Lot and the North Parking Lot are free and can accommodate about 245 cars.

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