Nioza Rekishi no Michi — the Nioza historic street (二王座歴史の道) 二王座歴史の道

The passage cut into the tuff in front of the old Shinkoji is among the 100 Urban Landscapes (1993).

Nioza, at the foot of Usuki Castle, is a neighbourhood of narrow paved lanes made by cutting into the tuff hill (solidified volcanic ash from Aso). The name comes from the Niō gate of the Gion (Yasaka) shrine, and tradition links the area to Kasuga no Tsubone, wet nurse of the third Tokugawa shogun. Former residences of high-ranking samurai, long gates and several temples, including Zenpōji and Hōonji, stand side by side here. The most distinctive stretch is the passage cut into the rock in front of the former Shinkōji temple, often cited as the signature view of Usuki. In 1993 the neighbourhood was selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as one of the ‘100 Urban Landscapes of Japan’. The walking route is about 1.6 km, an hour's walk.

Oita

Usuki, Kami-Usuki

https://theanimetrip.com/luoghi/nioza-rekishi-no-michi-usuki