Usuki Stone Buddhas

Just a few kilometers southwest of the beautiful city of Usuki in Oita, you will find the amazing set of stone curved buddhas known as the Usuki Stone Buddhas.

Usually made of wood or metal, the Usuki Stone Buddhas are unique in many ways. Created around the Heian Period (794-1185), the Usuki Stone Buddhas are carved from soft volcanic rocks from Mount Aso, giving sculptors a soft and highly workable material to work with. Also, the Usuki Stone Buddhas feature Japan’s most important number of such statues and as such making the whole area not only unique but also one of Oita’s most important cultural heritage locations.

This video was made in Cooperation with Tourism Oita. Learn more about Oita Prefecture at http://en.visit-oita.jp/