Stone Buddha in Usuki, Oita

The Cosmic Buddha in the Furuzono Gallery

Usuki Daibutsu Stone Buddhas are about six kilometers away from JR Usuki Station. It seems there's a free bike rental service at the station. Could be possible to go there by bike I wonder. Also accessible by bus from Usuki Station. I went there by car from Beppu with my guests so it was too easy. 


The Buddha sculptures, designated as national treasures, are roughly 1000 years old. There are four galleries and two of them are easy access with gentle slopes. One of the two is the best of the four: Maha Vairochana or the Cosmic Buddha flanked by 12 others is magnificent. Once the Buddha's head was dislocated and was sitting on the ground. After discussing what to do for ten years, researchers agreed that the head be restored. 


When in Usuki, don't miss the Inaba Residence built for the former Inaba lord to stay when he was back in Usuki coming back from Tokyo. It has a lovely garden which retains the old samurai house garden atmosphere yet with a tinge of the modernity from the Meiji period. The house was built in 1902 in the Meiji period but looks like an authentic senior samurai house from the Edo period.


Oita Prefecture has many stone Buddhas sculpted from the tuff-hillside, making a striking difference from other parts of Japan.

Buddha's head sitting on the ground