Oct 23, 2013 - 1 min read

Byakui Dai Kannon

The giant White-Robed Goddess of Mercy

By Aline Laborde

Community writer

Kannon-sama brings peace and love to the people of Takasaki

The many Buddha deities inside Kannon-sama

Among the 20 deities you will find Kishimo-jin, the ‘mother goddess of demons’ who was originally a monstrous children-devouring demon, until great Buddha converted her

You can even offer a tribute to these deities

Just 25 minutes by JR bus from Takasaki Station and Metropolitan Hotel Takasaki, you will find a gigantic, white statue of Byakui Dai Kannon-sama, the White-Robed Goddess of Mercy. Built in 1936, this statue stands 41.8 metres tall. You can go inside the statue and climb up the stairs to her shoulders. Ascending the 9-story stairwell leads a journey spotted with small windows with faraway city views and 20 different images of Buddhist deities. There is also the Shingon Temple. The scenery is especially beautiful in Cherry Blossom season and every year on the fourth Saturday of August there is a festival called Mandoue (万灯会) where over 15000 candles are lit up around Kannon-sama and along the main street.