Last Sunday, FEB/02, when I was heading South towards Sumoto City, I saw police man & fire man were gathering around Awaji Kannon, the Statue of Buddha, 10km south of Circolo.
It was around 05:30 PM, around dusk and Police’s search light shined onto the big Statue….

Later on I found following article indicating one young guy committed suicide by jumping from the neck of the statue to the red pedestal. (The article on Web news).

The size of the statue is 20 meters in Height, with a 5 story pedestal building below & 6 floor observation deck within the statue, still considered as a landmark of North Awaji. However locals consider it to be a big headache….

The Statue, HEIWA KANNON, 10km down south, was built in 1977 (in Googlemap).
At the beginning, the 5 story pedestal was a classic car museum. On the neck of the statue, an observatory was constructed.

The whole building was closed in 2006 after the owner of the building passed away. Ever since, the building turned to ruin and many trespassers began to deface the building.
The property was abandoned and local governor cannot touch the building because stupid Japanese law.

The rotting building is now sort of a haunted house and No locals dare to visit.
I suggest that you do not go there or even go the observation deck….
Or you will meet something like….