Photos: Usuki Stone Buddhas

On Saturday I went down to Usuki, about an hour south of Oita, to see the stone buddhas. Four clusters of buddhas are carved into rock exposed by a volcanic eruption. The buddhas were carved about a thousand years ago and are somewhat rare in Japan, as most buddha sculptures tend to be carved from wood.

Equally interesting to me were the grounds surrounding the clusters, filled with dense, lush forests and bamboo groves. There was such a sense of peace in those groves.

More photos of the buddhas and grounds here.