Most of the Buddha statues erected throughout Japan depict the religion’s founder sitting neatly in meditation. But one Buddhist temple complex nestled high in the lushly forested mountains east of Fukuoka City depicts the Buddha reclining on his side, moments before he enters parinirvana—the moment of death. The Nanzoin Temple Buddha stands out for another, likely more apparent reason, as well: standing 135 feet long, 36 feet tall, and weighing in at almost 300 tons, this is one of the largest bronze statues on earth. Nazo-in Temple is a multi-faceted…
