Usuki Stone Buddhas

Usuki is a city located on the east coast of Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is famous for its Usuki Stone Buddhas, a national treasure, and its soy sauce production. Recently it has become known for having the look and feel of a Japanese castle town. It is part of Ōita City's metropolitan area through economics and thus has strong ties to Ōita City. The city is bordered by Ōita City, Saiki, Tsukumi, and Bungo-ōno. The city looks upon the Bungo Channel in the east. The city surrounds the Bay of Usuki with the Saganoseki Peninsula in the north and the Nagame Peninsula in the south. Within the bay are Kuroshima Island and Tsukumi Island. Water from the bay flows into Usuki River, around whose flat lands town areas have been built. The northern part of the city has gently-sloping hills while the southern part has mountain ranges that are 500m to 600m above sea level.