Hill of the Buddha
Giant stone Buddha buried inside a lavender-ringed hill, its head glimpsed through a circular oculus after a dim, forty-meter tunnel walk.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Hill of the Buddha in Sapporo follows architect Tadao Ando, who buried a giant stone Buddha carved around the year 2000 inside an artificial hill above a quiet cemetery. You'll hear how the statue went from barely visited to sealed behind a dome ringed with 150,000 lavender plants, reached only by crossing a still water garden and walking a long, dim tunnel. It also covers the cafe built into the same hill, where visitors who just sat in silence order lavender ice cream and udon minutes later.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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