This Tendai Buddhist temple is the oldest wooden building still standing on the Island of Kyushu (two-thirds of the original structure remain). This national treasure was built in 718 during the Heian period, corresponding to the rise of Buddhism in Japan. Inside, the statue of a seated Amida Nyorai, sculpted out of nutmeg wood and surrounded by murals depicting scenes of heaven, reminds us that this temple is entirely dedicated to Buddha, the master of a pure, peaceful world.