#35: A Big Hello to You, Too!

The Japanese like a lot of big things. First a water tunnel, then giant super crabs, and now a 330-foot tall statue with 12 floors, an elevator, a six-foot water fountain, and a 12-foot jewel. This is the Sendai Daikannon, and she was once the largest statue in the world.

She represents the white-robed Bodhisattva and “births” other Buddhas. The twelve-foot jewel in her hand is the Centamin gem, which blesses those who visit with granted wishes. For all her positivity and wonder, both megalophobes and ecclesiophobes would struggle to go near her. Thankfully, she lost her status as the tallest statue four times over, but she’s still the tallest goddess in Japan.