8.Haraigawa Stone Buddhas
So much to see in this group of Buddhist statues
with highly unique personalities gathered on a hillside
The Haraigawa Stone Buddhas include about 50 stone Buddhist statues on the site of a small temple that once enshrined a Shokannon (bodhisattva embodying compassion) called the Haraigawa Kannon. It is said that in the 1660s, a priest from Gekkeiji Temple built the Jiko-an (Jiko Hermitage) here and was venerated by the local people. There are a wide variety of stone Buddhas, including Monju Bodhisattva, Amida Nyorai, Shaka Nyorai, and Fudo Myoo, which tells us that people offered up various prayers here. Another feature of the Haraigawa Stone Buddhas is the small grotto in the rock face with carvings of 11 Buddhist figures . They seem to represent the journey from this world to the next, their images stirring your imagination.
These stone Buddhas are thought to be from the Edo Period (1603-1868). While some have been severely weathered, most of the stone Buddhas retain their beautiful appearance.
A variety of stone Buddhas standing under the protective roof. Behind them to the right is a grotto with Buddha figures carved on its rockface.
- Address
- Haraigawa, Usuki City, Oita Prefecture
- TEL
- None
- Parking
- Next to the Kannon-do Hall
- Stamp location
- In front of the Kannon-do Hall
- Restrooms
- Use Usuki stone Buddha or public toilet