Hill of the Buddha, Easter Island Moai and Stonehenge

29 August 2023

I figured that our long drive from Obihiro to Otaru, via Sapporo, using the Hokkaido expressways would be too boring without a pit stop at a Hokkaido attraction. Just before reaching Sapporo, we took the exit at the Kita-Hiroshima interchange and did a 25 minutes (17 km) detour to the Makomanai Takino Cemetery, located in the southern outskirt of Sapporo city.

What could we be seeing at a Japanese cemetery?

I never imagine that I would see the Easter Island Moai statues in Hokkaido but I did. In addition, I also got to see a replica of the Stonehenge and a statue of an enormous Buddha with his head peeking out over a mound covered with fields of lavender.

As we entered the western gate of the cemetery (Google map location here), a row of gigantic Moai statues could be seen on the left side of the road.

We did not stop here. Instead, we continued inwards and parked at a large car park (Google Map location here) next to a grass and lavender covered mound known as the Hill of the Buddha.

The Hill of the Buddha is a shrine that features a 13.5 meter tall statue of the Buddha. It was designed by Tadao Ando, an architect famous for working on many creative buildings both within and outside of Japan.  

With construction beginning in October 2013 and completed in 2015, Tadao Ando built a rotunda to encase the existing Buddha statue with an opening on top that allows the head to peek out.

The statue was named Atama Daibutsu because only the statue's head (atama) peeks out from the dome-shaped roof.

The rotunda is then covered with earth to form a mound that is then planted with 150,000 lavender plants. If we had come during the lavender season, the entire mound would be covered in purple lavender flowers.

After viewing the Buddha’s head peeking out from the mound of earth, we took a short walk to the entrance of the shrine. Being in August, we did not see any lavender flowers.

A 50 to 60 meters pathway through the fields of lavender leads to a walled rectangular water feature and then into a tunnel that leads into the mound. To enter the tunnel, we had to walk around the water feature, somehow symbolising that the path to the Buddha is not direct. There is a cafe at the end of the water feature.

  A long path with lavenders on both sides leads to the entrance. 

The path to the Buddha is not straight forward. We have to circle around this water garden before entering a tunnel leading to where the Buddha is enclosed.

A 40m tunnel that amplifies the sound of your footsteps you approached the rotunda.

As we walked into the tunnel and approached the Buddha, we could first only see the feet. Then the body and finally the entire 13.5 meters tall statue sitting on a pedestal.

The sky acting like a halo around the Buddha’s head.

In this shrine, devotees could write a wish on a wooden placard called an ema, find out their fortune by taking a slip of paper called an omikuji and make message lighting to express a wish. These activities cost a fee. The proceeds are used to maintain the cemetery’s grounds.

We could also make a prayer and sound a gong placed at the foot of the stairs.

Chairs are placed in front of the Buddha. We are welcomed to sit and gaze at the Buddha statue.

We sat on the chairs to gaze at the Buddha before walking around the statue to admire the architecture and see more Buddhist statues at the side.

Relax, reflect and gaze at the calming face of the Buddha.

We went to check out the Rotunda Cafe and Store located inside the Hill of the Buddha. The soft serve lavender ice cream was sold out, so we had coffee instead.

Recharged by the caffeine, we walked from the Hill of the Buddha to the row of Moai statues that we saw earlier.

Walking to the Moai statues. Did you notice that one of the statues is different from the rest?

Moai statues are massive megaliths that are built in approximately 1400 - 1650 A.D. by the natives of Easter Island located in Polynesia. It is thought that the Moai were symbols of religious and political power and leadership and these statues represented the ancestors of the island people.

The average height of a Moai on Easter Island is about 4 meters and can weigh around 12.5 tons each. But some could be up to 12 meters tall. These replicas, in Hokkaido, are of similar sizes. 

Replicas of the Easter Island Moai in Hokkaido.

The faces on these Moai have distinct features, such as broad noses and strong chins jutting out from the rest of the body.

The Moai statue at the back – who does it resemble?

 

We walked to the replica of Stonehenge that is located a fair distant away. The weather and peacefulness of the surroundings made the walk very pleasant.

Walking towards the replica of Stonehenge.

Just like the real Stonehenge that we visited in the England, we did not get to see the stone blocks up close. There was a sign that told visitors to keep off the grass. Being the law-abiding tourists, we did just that although there were some other tourists who went to see the replica up close. 

Close-up photo of the Stonehenge replica.

I think the visit to the Hill of the Buddha was worth the detour (and one extra hour of driving time) that we took. The Buddha shrine was an amazing piece of artistry from the architect that is not to be missed. Plus the bonus of seeing and snapping photos of the replicas of the Easter Island Moai statues and Stonehenge. Although the shrine and sculptures are located in a large cemetery, the area that we walked through did not have any graves. 

From the Makomanai Takino Cemetery, we drove back to the Kita-Hiroshima Interchange to continue our journey along the tolled expressway to Otaru.