[Oita Art and Culture Tour | OITA Art&Culture] Introduction of the Oita Prefectural Art Museum, etcSearch for ArtsFukiji Temple

The main hall of Fukiji Temple was built in the late Heian period (794–1185) to host a statue of Amida Nyorai, the Buddhist deity who invites believers to paradise. It is a National Treasure and the oldest wooden structure still standing in Kyushu. The temple is guarded by two fearsome-looking nio guardians at the gate and two massive trees—nutmeg on the left, gingko on the right—at the top of the steps.

The building itself is built of the wood of the nutmeg tree, as is the Buddhist statue inside, and the sweeping roof design is meant to represent the shape of a phoenix, one of the sacred animals of Buddhism. The interior was originally adorned with vivid colors, with detailed paintings covering much of the walls and columns, and the Amida statue was covered in brilliant gold leaf. Worshippers would circle Amida in a clockwise direction, overseen by the heavenly figures painted high up on the surrounding walls. (Most of them are still faintly visible.)

In later years, a more sober and refined aesthetic was introduced to Japanese art and architecture with the influence of Zen and the tea ceremony, and lavishly decorated temples such as Fukiji were left to take on a timeless worn and faded patina.