Usuki Stone Buddhas

More than sixty Buddhist images carved into the soft volcanic cliffs of a quiet valley south of Usuki, the finest group of stone Buddhas in Japan and the first such carvings to be designated a National Treasure. Thought to date from the late Heian to Kamakura periods, the four clusters include the celebrated Dainichi Nyorai head, whose serene face lay fallen at the foot of its own body for decades before being restored to place. Lotus ponds and terraced paths make the walk between the shelters part of the visit.