Avalokitesvara (bodhisattva of peace)

A 27-meter-high statue of the Great Kannon carved into a rock wall

In Oya, a stone village in Utsunomiya City, there is a huge stone statue of Kannon standing on the site of the Oya Stone Mining Site.

The towering statue stands 26.93 meters tall (88 shaku 8 sun 8 min) with a girth of 20 meters.

The statue of Kannon was carved into the rock face on the south side of the temple, utilizing the Oyanishi wall, to comfort the souls of the war dead and to pray for world peace.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in 1948, and the statue was carved by hand over a period of six years on the tuff layer wall of the former Oya Stone quarry, finally being completed in 1954.

This hand-carved statue of the Great Kannon stands 88 shaku 8 sun 8 min (26.93 meters) tall and has a girth of 20 meters.

In 1956, a priest from Rinnoji Temple on Mt. Since then, it has stood tall as a symbol of Oya.

Climbing the stairs to the observatory, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the town.

This spot is worth visiting together with the Oya Museum, which introduces the history of Oya Stone and its huge underground space.

Heiwa Kannon and the surrounding park have also been used as a filming location. In the special effects TV program “Gosei Sentai Dairenger,” the Heiwa Kannon appears as the remains of the Daos civilization in the interior of China, and Heiwa Kannon was also featured in the final episode of “Kousentai Mask Man” and in “Ultraman 80” in important scenes.

Around Heiwa Kannon are Otani Temple, which has the Otani Magaibutsu (Otani Kannon), a special historic site, as well as the oddly shaped rocks of Otani, Mt. Gojyozan, and Koshiji Iwa (a national scenic spot). The Old Otani Public Hall (a registered national tangible cultural property) and the Otani Museum are also popular tourist attractions.