What to know
The Shodoshima Great Kannon (小豆島大観音, Shōdoshima Daikannon) is a towering white statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Completed in 1993 on a mountainside overlooking western Shodoshima Island, the 50-meter-tall statue contains a temple within.
Visitors can enter and climb (or take an elevator most of the way) to the top floor built into the Kannon's chest, where the temple's holy relic—a tooth of the historical Buddha donated by a temple in Sri Lanka—is enshrined. This floor also serves as an observation deck with pleasant views.
Inside the base of the statue is a maze-like series of halls filled with hundreds of golden miniature replicas of the Great Kannon, donated by worshippers. A large traditional altar in the central hall invites visitors to pray.
From Tonosho or Ikeda port, take a bus on the Kitamawari Fukuda Line (北廻り福田線) bound for Fukuda Port (福田港) and get off at Shodoshima Daikannon-mae (小豆島大観音前). The one-way ride takes 30 minutes and costs 500 yen. Buses run every 2-3 hours from either port. The statue is a ten-minute uphill walk from the bus stop.
Alternatively, the statue is accessible by rental car or taxi in about 15 minutes from Tonosho Port (about 3000 yen one way by taxi).
How to get to and around Shodoshima
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 8:00 to 17:00
- Closed
- No closing days
- Admission
- 500 yen (~$3.2)
- English name
- Shodoshima Daikannon
- Original name
- Great Kannon (Daikannon)
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.