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| Chiba is nowadays very conveniently reached by the
Aqualine, a half-tunnel half-bridge pathway crossing Tokyo Bay. We had a great,
beautiful day and the view from the artificial island in the middle of this bay
was really impressive!
On the west coast of Chiba is located a small hill called Mokogiri-yama. Surprisingly, it is hardly mentionned in the guide books, although it hosts the largest statue of the Buddha in Japan: 21.3 meters high. Its construction ended in 1783, but unfortunately, it was just under restauration when we visited it! Interestingly, the Nihon-ji temple located close to this statue and founded in 725 belong to the most famous buddhist sects of Japan: Hosso, Tendai, Shingon and finally to the Soto Zen Sect.
Close to the top of the hill, an impressive image of the Buddha is carved in the stone. The view from the area is incredible...
Around this huge image, about 1500 small statues of Arhats (novices who had undergone spiritual awakening) can be seen, many of them hidden in natural caves.
And to take some rest after climbing this hill... the beach is not far!
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