[Nagano Prefecture/Shimosuwa: The "Manji Stone Buddha" highly praised by Taro Okamoto]

The Manji Stone Buddha became a hot topic and became widely known throughout Japan after contemporary artist Taro Okamoto and writer Jiro Nitta praised it. Its size is 2.6m in height (65cm of which is the face), 11.85m in circumference (1.38m around the face), 3.8m in width, and 3.7m in depth. Compared to the size of its face, its torso is very large, and it sits cross-legged on a lotus flower. 🪷 It has a mysterious inverted swastika on its chest! There is a story that when a chisel was driven into the stone, blood flowed from it. There is a way to pray to the Manji Stone Buddha, and the instructions are written at the entrance. 1. Bow in front, put your hands together, and pray in your heart, "May everything be well." 2. Walk around the stone Buddha three times clockwise while chanting your wish in your heart. 3. Return to the front and chant "Yorozu osamete matashita" (I have saved everything), then bow. It was an unbalanced stone Buddha with a humorous face and a mysterious atmosphere. ✨ February 1, 2024 "Manji Stone Buddha" 📍133 Yashiro, Shimo-Suwa-machi, Suwa-gun, Nagano Prefecture, Japan 393-0000 　(18 minutes walk from Shimo-Suwa Station) #Nagano Prefecture #Shimo-Suwa #Manji Stone Buddha #Okamoto Taro #Nagano Tourism #Nagano Tourism