Kumano Magaibutsu

Top choice in Kyūshū

Deep in a forest along a mossy riverbed are two Heian-period Buddha images carved into a cliff: a 6m figure of the Dainichi Buddha and an 8m figure of Fudō-Myō-o. Known as Kumano Magaibutsu, these are the largest Buddhist images of this type in Japan, reached via stone stairs said to have been built overnight by an ogre. If you thought the few hundred steps to the carvings were tough, wait until the next few hundred to the shrine at the top.

The entrance to the carvings is around 2km south of Maki Ōdō Hall.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre
12.63 MILES
You may be blown away by the versatility of bamboo, which grows copiously in the Beppu region. In the ground-floor gallery, intricate, refined pieces span…
Usa-jingū
9.27 MILES
The sprawling, wooded and water-crossed Usa-jingū, the original of which dates back some 1200 years, is the chief shrine among some 40,000 in Japan…
Futago-ji
7.99 MILES
In the centre of the Kunisaki Peninsula, near the summit of Futago-san (721m), this temple was founded in 718 and dedicated to Fudō-Myō-o, the fire…
Fuki-ji
4.14 MILES
Located on the outskirts of Bungo-takada, this National Treasure, made of fragrant nutmeg wood, is the oldest wooden edifice in Kyūshū and one of the…
Kinrin-ko
17.15 MILES
On the eastern side of town, the small 'Lake of Golden Fish Scales' was named by a Meiji-era philosopher and is a local landmark. Shops, cafes and…
Maki Ōdō
1.67 MILES
This temple's main hall dates from the Edo period, but the key reason to come here is to see the nine Heian-period sculptures designated important…
Yama Jigoku
11.69 MILES
Yama is not included in the onsen meguri ticket and must be visited separately. A variety of animals are kept here in enclosures that look uncomfortably…
Oni-yama Jigoku
11.58 MILES
Oni-yama is especially known for the 80-plus crocodiles that have been bred here since the Taishō period (1912–26). It's one of the Kannawa group's jigoku…

View more attractions

Nearby Kyūshū attractions

1. Taizō-ji

0.2 MILES

At this temple near the entrance to the Kumano Magaibutsu, monks will give you stickers to put on the statue of your Chinese birth year.

2. Maki Ōdō

1.67 MILES

This temple's main hall dates from the Edo period, but the key reason to come here is to see the nine Heian-period sculptures designated important…

3. Fuki-ji

4.14 MILES

Located on the outskirts of Bungo-takada, this National Treasure, made of fragrant nutmeg wood, is the oldest wooden edifice in Kyūshū and one of the…

4. Futago-ji

7.99 MILES

In the centre of the Kunisaki Peninsula, near the summit of Futago-san (721m), this temple was founded in 718 and dedicated to Fudō-Myō-o, the fire…

5. Usa-jingū

9.27 MILES

The sprawling, wooded and water-crossed Usa-jingū, the original of which dates back some 1200 years, is the chief shrine among some 40,000 in Japan…

6. Chi-no-ike Jigoku

10.74 MILES

Chi-no-ike is named for its photogenic waters, said to be red like blood (chi). The colour comes from iron oxide and magnesium oxide. This is said to be…

7. Tatsumaki Jigoku

10.75 MILES

Set in Beppu's smaller group of jigoku (hells; boiling hot springs), Tatsumaki has a geyser that shoots off about every 35 minutes.

8. Shira-ike Jigoku

11.56 MILES

One of the Kannawa group's hells, Shira-ike has blue-white water and a Japanese garden. It tends to be the quietest of the neighbourhood's jigoku (hells;…

View more attractions