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Futagoji Temple – A Complete Guide to Kunisaki Peninsula’s Poster Boy
The name Futagoji (両子寺) is no stranger for anyone who has visited or lived nearby the Kunisaki peninsula. And yet, this temple remains relatively unknown among the travel circle given its secluded location. Futagoji is a small mountain temple located deep within the forests in the center of the peninsula. Because of this and also its iconic twin Nio guardians (仁王) statues, Futagoji is widely considered as the poster-boy temple of the region. In fact during my exchange to Oita, Japan, this was one of the first temples that I visited on a field trip. Despite having to travel in a large group while being accompanied by the enthusiastic chatters…
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Rokugo Manzan – The Unique Pride and Joy Of Kyushu
Rokugo Manzan (六郷満山) is certainly a term that is deemed a jargon by many, including Japanese themselves. Even myself admittedly have never heard of it until only recently, despite having visited the region a decade ago. Nevertheless, it fascinates me as I studied about it further, that this culture is one that established the foundation for Buddhism in the island of Kyushu. For starters, Rokugo Manzan (六郷満山) refers to the synchronism of various religious beliefs which later evolved into a culture and established itself in the Kunisaki Peninsula (国東半島) region of Oita Prefecture (大分県). In fact, the region became renowned for its scenic mountain temples, and also the grand Usa…
