in article rwba3r9ijgo1$.bt4ye9dpj0wp.dlg@40tude.net, Edward Mills at
spam@hotmail.com wrote on 2/15/05 10:36 PM:

> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 18:19:47 +0900, Ernest Schaal wrote:
> 
>> in article 18x2m3tnrsh8s$.1npfuowg20i23.dlg@40tude.net, Edward Mills at
>> spam@hotmail.com wrote on 2/15/05 5:33 PM:
>> 
>>> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 17:16:08 +0900, Ernest Schaal wrote:
>>> 
>>>> A few blocks away from the park is the largest lacquer Buddha in Japan
>>> 
>>> One could travel halfway around the world simply to marvel at such an epic
>>> achievement! 
>> 
>> Actually, it is quite big. It appears about as big as the daibutsu in
>> Kamakura, maybe taller.
> 
> Oh, I'm sure it's the largest lacquer Buddha most people have ever seen!
> And if Clark Griswald was to visit Japan, this lacquer Buddha would
> definitely be on the itinerary!
> 
> I always find it funny the way Japanese advertise these things. For
> example, I live in "Japan's only Apricot village", and coincidentally live
> not more than 20 minutes away from the second largest wooden structure in
> Japan, but first I have to drive past the Most Expensive Stadium ever built
> that is only used for Little League baseball games, and maybe I'll get a
> chance to see the world's biggest ball of yarn on my way to go visit these
> wonders. And don't let me forget the castle that is over 1,000 years old.
> They recently held a festival because this 1,000 year old castle has just
> been rebuilt. 
> 
> I do have to admit that Nobunaga's castle sounds interesting.

A little history on the lacquer Buddha, it wasn't made to be the largest, it
was made in the aftermath of a major flood in the 18th century. The entire
buddha is covered with lacquer made from sacred writings. It is 13.7 meters
tall.