Showa Big Buddha (Seiryu Temple)
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Secluded temple complex | Difficult to get to |
| Great in winter | Not an old temple at all |
If you plan a trip to Aomori, a common issue is finding things to do. A big problem with the more remote areas of Japan is the lack of something unique that cannot be found in other, more accessible, areas of Japan. Temples are two a penny in Japan and unless you are a temple history nerd the temples all basically blend into one after the first week. Also, a lot of these temples are functional buildings (active religious worship) and as such are recently constructions rather than ancient artifacts of the Japanese past (no one in Europe builds a new castle, for example).
That being said, if you do find yourself in Aomori then a trip to Seiryu Temple can tick off a two typical Japanese attractions; a Big Buddha Statue (bigger and less crowded than Kamakura – although built in 1984 rather than 1252), and a 5-story pagoda (there are plenty in Japan). Added into the two for one is the chance to see them both under a foot of snow, which is a scene you will only get in the north of Japan.
Access to Seiryu Temple
Getting there is a bit tricky. First, don’t use the local train. The stop is miles away and you can’t walk directly there in winter as a path is closed. During the better weather months it would however be a nice 30 minute walk. The “one-man” trains (you pay the driver or conductor like a bus when you get off the train as the “stations” are just a platform with no barriers or buildings) are interesting if you have time. If not, take a bus directly to the temple car park from Aomori station.
Below are all the bus times in English (original information on the temple official site is actually out of date so don’t use it!). Between August 13th to 15th and December 29th to January 3rd the buses run the weekend timetable everyday.
| Going there | Going there | Coming home | Coming home |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Aomori Station (Weekdays) | From Aomori Station (Weekends) | From Seiryu Temple Car Park (Weekdays) | From Seiryu Temple Car Park (Sat/Sun/holidays) |
| 08：10 | 08 : 15 | 09：15 | 09 : 10 |
| 10：23 | 10 : 05 | 10：15 | — |
| 11 : 20 | — | 11：20 | 11 : 10 |
| 13 : 11 | 13 : 00 | 12：27 | 12 : 10 |
| 15 : 11 | 14 : 23 | 13：45 | — |
| 15：18 | 15 : 02 | ||
| 17：26 | 17 : 25 |
There are a few really early buses that go to “close by” to the temple complex and you have to walk for 5 minutes. It isn’t a pain and you can’t get lost as the temple is visible from the stop. However, those buses are very early or very late so you don’t need to add extra stress to your day by trying to catch them: Stick with the direct buses as listed above. Aim to spend 2 hours in the temple complex without eating there as the food isn’t special.
Probably a good plan would be the 13:11 / 13:00 bus going there and the 17:26 / 17:25 bus going back. The trip takes 50 minutes and costs ¥550 per adult. Incidentally, a taxi one-way is about 25 minutes and will cost ¥3,000 to ¥4,000, so maybe worth it with 4 people.
Relevant Links
https://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/aomori-showa-daibutsu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daibutsu
https://www.en-aomori.com/culture-049.html
http://showa-daibutu.com/
