---
name: "Ushiku Daibutsu"
lat: 35.99333
lng: 140.19194
official_url: "https://daibutu.net/"
fee: "Two tickets, and the cheaper one does not let you inside the statue. The set ticket, which covers the garden and the inside of the Buddha, is ¥900 for an adult and ¥500 for a child. The garden-only ticket is ¥600 and ¥400. Adult means junior high school age and up, child means 4 up to the end of primary school, and 3 and under are free for both the statue and the garden. Groups of fifteen or more pay ¥800 and ¥400 for the set, ¥500 and ¥300 for the garden; the same rates apply on showing a disability certificate. Copying sutras inside the statue costs a further ¥500 and up, and feeding the animals is charged separately."
last_verified: "2026-08-15"
---

# Ushiku Daibutsu

Guinness listed this statue in 1995 as the tallest bronze Buddha in the world. It stands 120 meters — the Great Buddha of Nara would sit in its palm. Inside, five floors run from a deliberately dark room to a gold hall lined with some 3,400 small Buddhas. An elevator reaches the chest deck at 85 meters. Below lies a Pure Land garden with a flower field open for picking in spring and autumn. It is a working temple as well as a sight.

- Area: ibaraki
- Type: sightseeing
- Average stay: 120 min
- Hours: Open every day of the year, but the closing time moves four ways. March to September it is 9:30-17:00 on weekdays and 9:30-17:30 at weekends and on holidays; October to February it is 9:30-16:30 whatever the day. The last tickets are sold 45 minutes before closing for the set ticket and 30 minutes before for the garden-only ticket. The restaurants take last orders at 13:30 on weekdays and 14:30 at weekends and on holidays, and the cafe in the garden terrace opens 11:00-16:00 and closes on Fridays.
- Last verified: 2026-08-15

## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date)

| Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator | Yes | A lift takes you up inside the statue to the chest observation deck at 85 m. It is on the set ticket only — the garden-only ticket does not go inside. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://daibutu.net/) |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | The garden, the flower field and the terrace are all outdoors; the five floors inside the statue are indoors. On a wet day the inside of the Buddha and the shops still work. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://daibutu.net/daibutu.html) |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| English support | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Best-fit ages (guide) | Yes | Children of 3 and under go free, both the garden and inside the statue; 4 up to the end of primary school pay the child rate. The petting zoo runs on Sundays and public holidays only and is closed in February and December, feeding costs extra, and the monkey stage is dark every Friday — so the animals depend on the day you come. Inside the statue, the first floor is a deliberately dark room, and copying sutras costs ¥500 and up on top. There is a lawn in the garden terrace where children can run about. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://daibutu.net/fureai.html) |
| Stroller access notes | Yes | Parking is free, 820 spaces. By bus, from stand 2 at the east exit of JR Joban line Ushiku station, take the bus for Ushiku Daibutsu / Ushiku Joen or the one for Ami Premium Outlets and get off at Ushiku Daibutsu, 20 to 30 minutes; the fare is ¥730 one way on weekdays and ¥560 on the direct weekend and holiday service, so weekdays cost more. A taxi from the east exit of Ushiku or Arakawaoki station takes about 15 minutes. Pets cannot come inside the statue or into the garden. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://daibutu.net/koutu.html) |
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Stroller rental | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Nursing space | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Family restroom | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Steps & slope caution | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet |  |  |  |