Byakui Daikannon

Takasaki Byakue Daikannon is a giant Kannon statue located within the grounds of Jigen-in Temple (Koyasan Shingon sect) in Takasaki City, on the summit of Mt. Kannon at an elevation of about 190 m in the Kannon-yama hills. From the top level of the statue (around the shoulder area), you can look out over the city, with views of Takasaki cityscape and Gunma’s major mountains, and on clear days even as far as the Yatsugatake range. The statue was built in 1936 by businessman Yasasaburo Inoue, with the wishes of supporting Takasaki’s development,慰め (consoling) the spirits of fallen soldiers of the Takasaki 15th Regiment, and spreading the compassionate light of Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) to the world. The statue is made of concrete, standing 41.8 m tall and weighing 5,985 tons. Since its construction, it has been widely known as a center of Kannon worship and Daishi worship in North Kanto. Commonly called “Takasaki Kannon,” locals affectionately refer to it as “Kannon-sama” or “Byakue Kannon.”