158362The Hill of the Buddha in Sapporo, Japan

158362

The Hill of the Buddha in Sapporo, Japan

When thinking of the Great Buddha of Japan, Many people are probably familiar with the image of the Daibutsu of Kamakura. Japan’s most famous 700-year-old Great Buddha but 1,200 kilometers north of Kamakura in Hokkaido There is another Daibutsu that is enshrined in a different style. The Buddha image here is not majestic and majestic like other famous Big Buddha images. but hides him under the lavender hill flowers that mean peace and purity It is also believed to have deep spiritual meaning.

The Hill of the Buddha

The Hill of the Buddha is a Buddhist shrine at Makomanai Takino Cemetery (Japanese: 真駒内滝野霊園) in Sapporo, Japan. The Hill of Buddha is located at Makomanai Takino Reien Cemetery, Sapporo, northern Japan. The main purpose of the design is here. It involves rebuilding the sanctuary by adapting its surroundings to the ancient Great Buddha statue, Atama Daibutsu, which is 15 meters tall and weighs 1,500 tons.

Originally, this Buddha statue had been standing in a lonely meadow for a long time. Looking in the midst of that open space There may be a feeling of hardness and dryness to some extent. Therefore, there was an idea to improve the surrounding area to create a feeling of calm and impressive at the same time. The project was led by Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect known for his minimalist design. and emphasizing the unity of buildings and nature Let’s design this religious place to be alive with the simplicity of its unique design.

If looking from the outside We can only see the head of the Buddha image. slightly protruding with a small hill stairway Surrounded by over 150,000 lavender plants, once you enter, you’ll find a pathway that’s about 40 meters long that leads to the Buddha statue. The intention of the design is to use the distance and the invisible things to create a feeling for the walker to guess what they will encounter next.

From the outer starting point, we can only see the head of the Buddha image. As he walked closer and closer Lord Buddha will gradually more visible until the end when the worshipers look up will see the whole Buddha image.

Tadao Ando is a Japanese architect who didn’t graduate in architecture. but researched by himself by reading books and traveling to see buildings in real locations both in Japan America and many other European countries.

Ando’s famous designs are found in many places both in Japan and abroad. Another of his most famous religious works is the Church of the Light in the Osaka suburb of Ibaraki. A building shaped like a solid square box. But when stepping in Well angled and well-placed concrete spaces The light reflects into the shape of a cross in the center of the room. which the sunlight hits on the bare concrete wall It will vary according to the light in each period.

The early stages of construction were delayed due to budgetary constraints. Until Ando even proposed that he didn’t need a roof at all (to save budget) until the contractor even donated the roof? But in the end, it wasn’t necessary because Ando ultimately used his design method to solve this problem.

Visiting Information:

Admission fee: 300 yen per person
Opening hours – closing: