Oita
Culture

The large buddha here is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Japan

The large buddha here is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Japan (Photo: Mandy Bartok)

Oita
Culture

The Stone Buddhas of Usuki

Ancient carvings in eastern Oita prefecture

Mandy Bartok Oct 27, 2013 - 1 min read

The large buddha here is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Japan

The large buddha's head fell off centuries ago and was only reattached to its body in 1993

Some of the statues still bear traces of paint from a millenium ago

The statues to the side of the center one are the ten kings, who sit in judgement of souls

Many of the statues show signs of weathering from years of exposure

The statues are now all protected by temple-like structures

The town of Usuki in eastern Oita prefecture is known for its thousand-year-old stone buddha statues, recognized as National Treasures by the Japanese government. Eight different groupings of statues can be viewed from a walking path that circles the cliffs where the buddhas were carved. Extensive renovations in both the 1970s and 1990s have made the statues look simply amazing for having been created over a millenium ago. For more details on some of the statues and the site itself, see the related article (link on the right side of this page).

More info

Find out more about Usuki Stone Buddhas.

Mandy Bartok

Mandy Bartok @mandy.bartok

Japan resident for 10 years, with time spent in Okinawa, Kumamoto and Tokyo.