Heiwa Kannon — Attraction in Utsunomiya

In the Ohya stone district in 1948 one stonemason began carving a giant Buddhist statue into a wall of rock. His name was Namizo Ueno. He had lost his two brothers in WWII and as he worked on the statue he prayed for world peace. But he soon ran out of funds and couldn’t continue his work. After that, the Ohya Tourist Association took over the project and asked a Professor Tobita—a sculptor, and professor at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music—to complete the project. Tobita’s aesthetic sense would not accept Ueno’s previous work, and so he removed the head Ueno had already carved. Tobita started sculpting a new statue from the beginning with the support of a large team of assistants. The statue was entirely carved by hand and eventually finished in 1954. The statue was named Ohya Heiwa Kannon (the Peaceful Goddess of Mercy).

The statue is standing and measures 26.9m in height, 20m in girth, with a 5m tall face. It is equivalent in height to a nine-story building. You can go up some steps behind the statue, and view it from there as well. Near the statue, you can also view ruins of an old quarry. Beyond the statue, there are huge stone walls leading to the nearby Ohya-ji Temple. (by...

Heiwa Kannon was incredible! Entry to the park to see the Kannon is free.

We parked in front of Ooya Shrine and walked over after visiting the shrine. One English review mentioned that the parking lot in front of the shrine is free, but only if you pay the entrance fee to Ooya Shrine. If you’re only visiting Heiwa Kannon, it’s best to park at the free lot called Ooya Connect and walk to the...

The rock craved Kannon 観音 is erected in small park (located in a former mine). The park open to public and there is no entrance fee. You can walk up to the shoulder of the Kannon via stairs on the side. It is not that tall. The park itself is small and one can see the rock formation left from the abandoning mine. There is a free parking outside and it only takes 2 mins to...