大分元町石仏 | |
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  Location Show map of Oita Prefecture Ōita Motomachi Stone Buddhas (Japan) Show map of Japan | |
| Location | Ōita (city),Ōita Prefecture,Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Kyushu |
| Coordinates | 33°13′14.1″N131°36′56.5″E / 33.220583°N 131.615694°E /33.220583; 131.615694 |
| History | |
| Periods | Heian period |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
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TheŌita Motomachi Stone Buddhas (大分元町石仏,Ōita Motomachi sekibutsu) is a group of religious statues carved inbas-relief into atuff cliff in Motomachi neighborhood of the city of Ōita,Ōita Prefecture on the island ofKyushu,Japan. The site was designated aNational Historic Site of Japan in 1934.[1]
Constructing Buddha statues out of stone is widely practiced in Buddhist areas in Asia. These images can be divided into three broad types:Magaibutsu (磨崖仏), bas-relief images carved directly into a cliff face, movable independent stone Buddhas carved from cut stone, and cave Buddhas carved inside rock caves, The Ōita Motomachi images can be classed asMagaibutsu.
The Ōita Motomachi statues are located at the eastern end of the Ueno Hill Plateau, approximately 70 meters above sea level, which runs from east to west south of Ōita city. The images are carved out of atuff rock wall on the west bank of the Ōita River. Commonly known as Iwa Yakushi (岩薬師), the centerpiece is a 5.15-meter-tall (16.9 ft) seated statue ofYakushi Nyorai. Part of the face and chest are missing The hands are also missing; these were made of a separate stones that could be inserted into the body. Per local legend, the statues were carved by Nira, a sculptor who came fromBaekje during the reign ofEmperor Bidatsu, but this legend not based on any concrete historical documentation, and from the style, the carvings are thought to date from the lateHeian period (mid-11th century). The image is carved almost in the round. Yakushi Nyorai is accompanied by aFudō Myōō Triad on the left, andBishamon-ten on the right. The carvings are protected by a wooden chapel. On the cliff face on the right side of the covered hall, there are traces of a three-piece Buddha statue with a seated Bodhisattva as a side attendant, but these are so weathered as to be all but unidentifiable.[2]