Northernmost and Southernmost Statues of Yakushi Buddha in Japan

Abstract

In Hokkaido, cultural activities didn’t develop until after the Meiji era. Partly for this reason, not a single statue of the Yakushi Buddha exists there. The northernmost statue in Japan is in poor condition and suffered from decay due to vermiculation. This statue of Yakushi Buddha, together with the decayed statues of 12 soldiers (Jūnishinsho), has been stored since the latter part of the 14th century in a special house at Zuiryu-ji (Zuiryu Temple), located at latitude 40°42'. The decayed statue of Yakushi Buddha, which no longer has hands and ankles, is preserved as a registered cultural property of the town Shichinohe, Aomori Prefecture. 　The southernmost statue of Yakushi Buddha in Japan is the statue at Ōraku-ji (Oraku Temple), located at latitude 31°54', in the city of Miyazaki, which is in Kyushu. The statue has been designated an Important Cultural Property (ICP). It has been in storage since the Kamakura era (1185〜1332AD). There are no statues of Yakushi Buddha in Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa prefectures. 　It is desirable that if any statues of Yakushi Buddha are found in Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Kagoshima or Okinawa, they become a part of the cherished cultural heritage of the people in the district where they are found.