The three great Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) statues in Japan are located in Kamakura, Nara, and Takaoka. The Takaoka Daibutsu has to be one of the Chubu region’s best kept secrets as there is no mention of it in any of the standard guidebooks (Lonely Planet take note!) The original Daibutsu in Takaoka was built in 1745. It was a golden colored wooden statue, which unfortunately burnt down. The current incarnation was completed in 1933 and is made of copper. Incidentally its height is greater than the Kamakura Daibutsu, however, it is also lighter in weight. The Daibutsu is about 5-10 minutes walk from the station. The annual Daibutsu cleaning festival takes place on the 23rd and 24th of September. At all other times the Buddha does not have many visitors, and entry is free to everyone. You can go inside the Buddha where you will find an ancient box. For the price of a mere 100 yen, the box will play an audio recording about the history of the Daibutsu in a crisp and clear British accent. Takaoka is also famed for a number of historical sites associated with the Maeda Samurai family.

Kojo Park is where Takaoka castle used to stand. As the Maeda family supported the Tokugawa forces, Takaoka Castle survived the turbulent times that preceded the Summer War in Osaka. However, it fell to another enemy and wasn’t rebuilt. The site of the former castle was transformed into a green and lush park. The park is surrounded by the original moat and houses a couple of shrines and a “garden of statues”. Takaoka has an active Buddhist community; hence there are many temples and shrines dedicated to the worship of Buddha.

A must see temple is the 420 year old Zuiryuji temple. This is located on the south side of the station and is considered a world heritage site. Entry costs 500yen, and they give you a neat pamphlet that has some English, so you can understand some of the stuff that you are looking at. One of the most impressive aspects of the temple is the lead roof that is used to cover the middle section of the temple. The lead was purposely used for the roof should the need arise to melt it down for bullets. If your thirst for Buddha hasn’t been satisfied go to the Senjuzan Hankyuji temple. It is located near the Zuiryuji temple. A special path called

One of the best experiences of visiting Takaoka has to be the drive to get there. If you are not in a rush, I would definitely recommend using Route 8. It takes about two and half hours (from Itoigawa) to get to central Takaoka. It is a very scenic ride, and on a good day, you will see the Japan Sea in its shimmering glory. If you have time, then you should take the opportunity to stop at Oyashirazu Pier Park and check out the world largest statue of a sea turtle.

As you head towards Takaoka, you will go through several villages, towns and cities, where you have the choice of stopping at such roadside favorites as McDonald’s, Mr. Donut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mos Burger, and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. All these junk food heaven shops will appear shortly after you cross the prefectural border into Toyama. There are car parks galore in central Takaoka. You can park at any one of the pay car parks near the train station. However, if you find yourself on a budget, and don’t mind the extra walk, the car parking for Zuiryuji temple is absolutely free. To get there follow the signs to the train station. When you find the station dead ahead of you, turn left, and go along the road (you will be traveling parallel to the train station). When you get to a major junction, turn right at the traffic light (there should be a sign that says “Zuiryuji temple”), follow the road, and you will find yourself going over a bypass. As you go over the bypass you will see Saty (a Department store with a Warner village cinema) on the left, keep going straight, and you should see a sign that says “Zuiryuji Temple”. You will have to turn right at the traffic light. Go straight ahead and you should see a sign for “Biggu China” restaurant telling you to turn left. Turn left as if you actually want to go to the restaurant, and follow the road down, you will pass the car park for “Biggu China” on your right. At the end of the road, you will find the Temple’s car park on the left.

If you are in need for refreshment after “temple trekking”, then you might be pleased to know that you are in the vicinity of a Star Bucks, at the AEON Takaoka Mall. To get there head back out on to the main road, and turn right. At the traffic light, turn right and follow the road down.

Periodically you will see purple signboards that will reassure you that you are going in the right direction, the only problem is that they are few and far between. Just have faith that you are going in the right direction, and it will definitely help to get a map printout from the official website.

On the way back to Niigata prefecture, why not treat yourself to a REAL curry! There are several well-known Indian restaurants in the Toyama/Takaoka area that are very up-market (i.e. expensive) and cater for Japanese taste. However, if you want the real thing (if you’re a Brit, you know what I’m talking about), you need to get off the beaten track. These restaurants are all located just off Route 8, and are in Kosugi town, which is situated between Takaoka and Toyama. The decor is nothing to write home about, but their curry is addictive.

Two restaurants, Dil and Raja are located on Route 472. If you are coming from Takaoka, go under the bypass where Route 8 crosses Route 472. Turn left and go down R-472. You will find Dil Restaurant on your left. Raja restaurant is about halfway down the road on the right hand side. Dil Restaurant is considered to be a bit dearer than its competition. It is your typical Indian restaurant with an extensive menu. Raja Restaurant specializes in having a selection of only three curries a day. So it is always nice to revisit it and discover what new curry they have in store. Kashmir is the most elusive of the three, located just off Route 8. You can actually see it when you are on Route 8, but it is still a case of blink and you’ll miss it. One way to get there it is to look out for a Sunkus convenience store, close to a junction. Turn left, then take the next left into a very narrow road. You will be heading parallel to Route 8. Follow the road and you’ll eventually find the Kashmir on your left. Kashmir’s food is very much what one would expect from Indian home cooking and they have homemade favorites like parathas as well as traditional restaurant fare such as chicken tikka.

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