If you have already seen the Great Buddha of Nara’s Todai-ji Temple, then you might not be interested in this Hyogo Great Buddha.
Well…yes, if I say this is the Hyogo Great Buddha, would anyone believe it?
This is a statue of Taira no Kiyomori, but it lacks the solemn and dignified feeling and instead has a touch of amusement.
This statue of Taira no Kiyomori is located on the way from the subway station to the direction of the Great Buddha in Shinkawa Canal.
Along the way, you will pass by…
On the road, you can see many interesting covers.
This fire hydrant has patterns of a weather vane, Kobe Tower, the Maritime Museum, a house in the bottom left corner, and an oil lamp in the bottom right corner.
Before entering to see the Great Buddha of Hyogo, you will come across this signboard.
It introduces the “Kobe Incident” during the Meiji Restoration period.
From what I understand, during this time, there were many foreigners in Kobe, which led to misunderstandings due to cultural differences.
In the end, Taki Zenzaburo committed seppuku to resolve the conflict.
Come and take a look at the Great Buddha.
Kobe is also one of the battlefields of the Heishi and Genji wars.
When some remains were excavated, memorial towers were set up to mourn these lost souls.
This is the tomb of Taira no Kiyomori.
There is a Inari Shrine nearby.
Monument for the victims of the sunken ship (although there is no information available about this ship, XD)
There is a half-bodied Bodhisattva next to it, strangely terrifying.
Next to the Hyogo Great Buddha, there is Nofuku-ji Temple.
It is said that Taira no Kiyomori shaved his head and became a monk here.
The Tsukinowa-eiden is the main hall of Nofuku-ji Temple.
Next, let’s take a look at the Great Buddha.
Praying and receiving blessings… the more you look, the more blessings you receive…
The Great Buddha is 11 meters tall and weighs 60 tons (Todai-ji Temple Great Buddha is 15 meters tall).
It looks quite impressive up close.
Above is a brief introduction to the Hyogo Great Buddha~
For more attractions in Hyogo and Kobe, please refer to the Kansai attractions page.
Hyogo Great Buddha Ticket/Visiting Hours/Transportation Methods (Nofuku-ji Temple Official Website)
Cost: Free
Opening hours: 09:00~17:00
Address: 1-39 Kitasakasegawa-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
Transportation: 7 minutes on foot from the Subway Kaigan Line “Chuo Ichiba Mae” Station
Map:
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1180/』
