The Sendai Daikannon is a 100-metre concrete statue of the Kannon goddess, standing on the northern outskirts of the city near Izumi-ku ward. It's a serious piece of oddity tourism: the hollow interior contains a lift and a spiral staircase, fifteen statues of Buddhist saints at each floor, and an observation platform at chest height with views over the city and toward the mountains.
Getting there requires either a taxi or a circuitous bus journey, which keeps the crowds away. The statue itself is simultaneously absurd and impressive — up close the scale is genuinely startling. A small temple complex at the base includes incense and prayer facilities if you want to treat it as an actual place of worship, which some visitors do. An unusual afternoon excursion for those who have already covered the central sights.