Affectionately referred to as most handsome man in Japan, Takaoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is among the three most famous Great Buddhas in Japan, alongside the Nara and Kamakura Daibutsu. It is measured to be 16 meters high, and took 26 years to complete (construction of the current statue began in 1907). It has been rumored that Takaoka Daibutsu was originally built as a wooden statue 800 years ago, and took one its current form after several burning incidents and reconstructions.

Photograph provided by Toyama Tourism Organization