One of Japan's most famous items is its great Buddha statues, particularly the Todai-ji in Nara and also Kotoku-in in Kamakura -- and not to be missed. But did you know Fukuoka City has its own great Buddha statue? That's OK, almost nobody in Japan or even Fukuoka knows either. The great Buddha is in the Tocho-ji temple, and in contrast to bronze, is made of wood. It stands 10.8 meters (35.4 feet) tall, weighs 30 tons and well worth a visit - which unlike the other statues is free. It took four years to carve and was completed in 1992. The temple was established in 806 A.D. and is the oldest Shingon sect temple in Kyushu. It is in the Gion area -- along with several other temples and shrines in the area to see, including Shofuku temple next door, which is Japan's oldest Zen Buddhist temple. It also is very close to the Gion subway stop.
