Day Tour from Sendai Sendai Daikannon Statue and Yamadera Temple
- 7 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Experience two spiritual behemoths, in size and importance, of the Tohoku region. This tour will grant you a day of spiritual significance, historical interest, and natural beauty. Sendai’s Daikannon (White Robbed Colossus) Statue and Yamagata’s Yamadera Temple (Risshaku-ji) are some of the most breathtaking sights located in the Tohoku region of Japan. Both of these notably spiritual destinations boast grandiose height, ritual pilgrimage, and offer visitors a chance to connect with the prominent Buddhist history that has shaped much of what Japan is today.
Inclusions
What's included
- Transportation to and from destinations during tour
- Admission fees at all attractions during tour
What's not
- Lunch
Itinerary
Welcome to Sendai’s Big Buddha! Reaching 100 meters (330 feet) into the sky, Sendai’s Daikannon Statue looks over the city with a watchful, protective eye. Kannon is the representation of the Japanese Buddhist Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy. This particular statue is the tallest Kannon in Japan and the tenth-tallest statue in the world! She is officially known as Sendai Tendou Byakue Daikannon (仙台天道白衣大観音), gaining her name from her white-robbed bodhisattva form. She holds a wish-fulfilling jewel in her right hand and in her left, a water flask pours the water of wisdom. You will get a good chance to appreciate her magnitude and presence.
We will meet back up after lunch to journey on toward the mountain entrance of Yamadera Temple, or as it is known by its formal title, Risshaku-ji. At the foot of the mountain entrance, you can take some time to observe the nationally designated important cultural property of Konponchudo, the statue of internationally renowned haiku poet Matsuo Basho, and various other spiritually significant temple structures. Matsuo Basho made his pilgrimage to Yamadera over 350 years ago during his Oku no Hosomichi (“Narrow Road to the Deep North”) travels. His remarks of Yamadera Temple were written as such: shizukasa ya / iwa ni shimiiru / semi no koe (閑さや岩にしみ入る蝉の声). It roughly translates to: such stillness / the shrill of cicadas / seeps into the rocks. Basho’s lingering poetic prose still leaves a deep impression on those who visit the temple and bask in its tranquility today.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 52
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 2 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Morinosanka Stained Glass located on the main concourse (2F) inside Sendai Station. Look for your guide holding the SNOW MONKEY RESORTS sign.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 6 travellers
- Operated by
- Snow Monkey Resorts Tours (Machinovate Japan Ltd.)
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
How it compares in Sendai
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 22 day trips we list in Sendai.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 4 of 22.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Sendai
Sendai is Tohoku's largest city, a green city of tree-lined avenues, samurai history, grilled beef tongue and the pine islets of Matsushima.
Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, was founded in 1601 by the samurai lord Date Masamune, and is known as the City of Trees for the zelkova-lined avenues of Jozenji-dori and Aoba-dori. The ruins of Aoba Castle on a hill above the river have a mounted statue of Masamune and a view over the city, and his mausoleum, Zuihoden, stands among cedars on another hill, its halls in ornate gold and black lacquer.
Top-ranked sights in Sendai: Zuihoden Mausoleum.
Special offers in Sendai
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
