Spot the Daibutsu (that's Japanese for Big Buddha)

This is a photo of the Daibutsu in Kamakura.

The Great Buddha (Daibutsu in Japanese) is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha in the city of Kamakura, Japan. Seated in the grounds of Kotokuin, a Buddhist temple of the Pure Land sect, the Great Buddha is one of the icons of Japan.

At 13.35 meters high and weighing 93 tons, the Daibutsu is the second largest monumental Buddha in Japan (after the one in Nara) and to many, it is the more impressive.

The Daibutsu was cast in 1252 in the Kamakura period and was originally housed inside a temple. But a huge tsunami washed away the wooden structure sometime in the late 15th century, and the statue has sat out in the open ever since.

The Great Buddha is seated in the lotus position with his hands forming the Dhyani Mudra, the gesture of meditation. With a serene expression and a backdrop of wooded hills, the Daibutsu is a truly spectacular sight.

The Daibutsu depicts Amida Buddha, who is the focus of Pure Land Buddhism. Originating in China, this sect gained prominence in Japan in the 12th century and remains very popular today. The central teaching is that through devotion to Amida Buddha, expressed through mantras and sincerity of heart, one will go to the Pure Land or "Western Paradise" (Sukhavati) after death — a pleasant realm from which it is easy to attain nirvana.

Most Pure Land Buddhists focus on chanting or repeating a mantra of devotion to Amida, "Namu Amida Butsu", as often as possible to reinforce a proper and sincere state of mind that will gain them admission to the Pure Land at death. This simple form of practice has contributed greatly to its popularity in Japan.

By the way, that's me on the left.