Statue of Buddha Amida Nyorai (Vladivostok)

 statue, buddhism, Buddha statue

Presented to Vladivostok Peace Fund by the Japan-Russia society of Tottori (Japan) in 1993. It was bought for this purpose by Mr.Tadakimi Matsunaga and donations of Japanese people; it weights 2 tons and is supposed to be a keeper of souls of all people who died in various wars and conflicts in the Pacific region, as well as to symbolize peace and cooperatopn of all peoples of the Asian-Pacific region.

The statue was originally erected in 1993 on top of the Orlinoye Gnezdo (Eagle's Nest) hill turned to face Tottori; unfortunately, one nighth some vandals badly damaged teh statue, and for several years it remained wrapped in plastic, while its head was kept in the Tibet Medicine Center brought there by a local Buddhist who found the broken statue. Mr.Matsunaga, the donator of the statue, wanted to arrange reconstruction of the statue, but the local people organized special fund-raising an then at last the statue was restored and erected on its current place, near the Oriental Studies Institute. Reconstruction was done by local sculptor Mr.Mansur Yakubov and his wife artist Inessa Yakubova, both from Vladivostok.

On 20 September 2011 a special ceremony of innauguration of a Japanese-style traditional canopy over the statue was held (that is, one year after re-erecting the statue, which was on 25 August 2010). It was also attended by a group of Japanese students from Tottori who constructed the canopy following a request from the "Japan - Russia" society and its Chairman Mr.Tadakimi Matsunaga.
The city administration, the Univercity and the Vladivostok Friendship Society thank the students of the Yonago (Tottori) Technical Colledge and their teachers, Mr.Tamai Takayuki (玉井 孝幸) and Ueda Terumi (上田 輝美).

An interesting fact is, that when the statue was re-erected on its pedestal here, an unusually bright rainbow appeared in the sky, and everybody present at the ceremonial erection of the statue were amazed.