Takaoka

Takaoka City has 400 years of history and has preserved its craftsmanship, annual events, historic buildings and the atmosphere for long time as their traditions. Takaoka Great Statue of Buddha is one of the three greatest statues of Buddha in Japan, which is a 16-meter-high sitting statue of Amitabha, built by superb foundry technique of craftsmen and the donation from Takaoka citizens. There are many historic areas in the city such as Yama-machisuji, a street filled with fire-proofed mortar wall buildings, Kanaya town, where there are many houses with lattice bars used in facades, the ruins of Takaoka Castle, which is converted to a beautiful park, Takaoka Castle Park, and Zuiryuji Temple, a National Treasure. Fujiko F Fujio, a famous cartoonist and the author of Doraemon, was born and spent his youth in Takaoka. The Doraemon trams, which commemorates his success, is in service and has become a very popular attraction in the city.