抄録
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.
