Oya Kannon Statue

In Tochigi prefecture near the city of Utsunomiya stands a large Kannon statue which is carved into Oya stone. A 30 minute bus ride west of Utsunomiya will lead you to an area which has a mine and remnants of a once thriving area which appears to be abandoned if it weren't for the locals still living in the area. You can see lot's of carved rock areas and the white looking Oya stone cliffs stand out amongst the trees. It is said the Oya area is the Matsushima of the inland and I can fully appreciate that statement. (more on that later)

The Oya Kannon statue took about 6 years to carve and appears incomplete especially where the hands should be.
The Oya Kannon statue stands pretty tall as can be seen in the photo.


This close up photo of the face of the Oya Kannon statue shows the porous quality of the Oya stone. The stone is light and seems to have a lot of air inside it.
The stairs to the left of the Oya Kannon statue allow you to climb to the top behind the statue. The view from there is good too.