A must-go in Sapporo, Hokkaido! Tadao Ando's "Head Buddha"

Families, when you come to Sapporo, Hokkaido, you must check out the "Head Buddha" designed by Tadao Ando. It is really shocking! 📍 Location Hokkaido Sapporo City Minami Ward Takino Makomanai Takino Cemetery (🚇Transportation: Take the subway Namboku Line to Makomanai Station, then take a taxi for about 15 minutes or walk for 30 minutes. It is recommended to check the bus schedule in advance) ⏰ Opening hours • April-October: 9:00-16:00 • November-March: 10:00-15:00 (The snow scenery in winter is beautiful, but please keep warm!) 🌸Architectural highlights🌸 1️⃣ Half-exposed Buddha head, mysterious ritual sense The 13.5-meter-high Buddha statue is "buried" in a conical hill, with only the head exposed. It is surrounded by 150,000 lavender plants, which change colors with the seasons - green in spring, purple in summer, and white in winter, symbolizing the cycle of life. From a distance, it looks like a Buddha's head floating in a sea of ​​flowers, full of Zen spirit! I came here in winter, and it was covered with snow, it was really beautiful. 2️⃣ 40-meter tunnel and light and shadow pilgrimage route After passing through the water garden, you enter a 40-meter-long exposed concrete tunnel. At the end of the dim passage is the feet of the Buddha statue. When you look up, you will be shocked by the Buddha's head shrouded in skylight! Ando uses light, shadow and spatial sequences to create a sense of worship ritual "from the earthly to the sacred". 3️⃣ Water Garden·Mind Purification Pool The square water courtyard at the entrance reflects the sky on the water surface. One needs to go around both sides to enter, symbolizing the "boundary between mortals and saints." The sound of flowing water collides with the quietness of concrete, instantly calming people. In winter, everything is covered with ice and snow, which is a perfect scene. 4️⃣ Seasonal limited and beautiful check-in spots • Winter: Snow covers the hills, and the Buddha wears a "snow hat", pure and solemn; • Sunny afternoon: The circular sky halo at the top of the tunnel, the light and shadow projection is like a miracle! #HokkaidoTravel #SapporoAttractions #AndoTadao