Usuki Stone Buddhas

This is a little off the beaten path, but if that's what you are looking for, this place will deliver. The fee is reasonable, but there is no indication from anyone or any signs that you need to be tottaly capable of doing a lot of stairs and uphill grades. The Buddas are amazing, and many are carved right into the cliff face. The map they give you does not show everything, so after number 2, go up the path to your right, and you will find some very old stones and a beautiful bamboo forest walk. The bamboo walk leads to an old Budda hut of sorts with carvings and a bell to ring if you donate a small amount. There are areas with steps and some with very steep inclines, and I wish I had brought some water. Near the end, there is another set of Buddas with a beautiful view over their small valley. When you leave here, if you are going back to Beppu, I recommend you turn right and go along the coastal road. It takes you through many small villages, and you are on a non busy road right at the seaside. Then you go through the heart of a massive industrial area, which is interesting itself. There is a nuclear power plant and Nippon Steel, and it's just interesting to see. The only thing I could compare it to in size is the refinery areas around Houston, Texas. Great stop on a day road trip from Beppu.

This is a beautiful "park like" visitor center where ancient stone Buddha relieve carvings are on display. No one really knows when these were carved, why they were carved here, or carved by which people. Regardless, the site has amazing mountain, water, and enveloping forest. Definitely a preferred place to have a Buddha encampment. Overall, a calming and enjoyable experience.

Magnificent ancient Buddhas carved into the rocks during the Heian Period (794-1185). Very impressive and interesting history.

One of the most "unknown" historical sites of Japan. The mystic aura of the Stone Buddhas is simply breathtaking. Wonderful experience!

I went on a Sunday. It’s very quiet and with very little tourists. Certain paths are a little steep, otherwise it's a nice place to walk around and look at Buddhas.

Walk around there and it's quite interesting to find old buddhists statues made by stones and some buildings that somethings are for buddhists and the others are for Japanese Shinto.

Gorgeous Stone Buddha carved into the rock and a designated national treasure of Japan, these were well worth the trek out on a local bus to see.

I attended the fire festival here, and took tours of the Buddha's being offered by middle school students who were learning English. The tours were simple and mildly informative, and very good for people new to this type of sculpture. The students themselves were fantastic. They drew pictures to help the audience understand their script and were friendly and clearly worked very hard on their scripts and pronunciation. The festival was enjoyable, but there wasn't much info on the significance of the festival. (Though to be fair, I can't read Japanese, so I might have missed it) Overall my favorite parts of the experience were the student tours, and the Buddha carvings. Things I enjoyed were the festival food, the scenery, and the pamphlet I got about the Buddha's Some not to great aspects were the apparent lack of sculpture related souvenirs (despite the fact that there were several shops) and apparent disorganization of the fire-lighting. (Though, once again, I might have missed something because I don't speak the language)