Ishi no Hōden is an enigmatic megalithic monument in Takasago, Hyōgo Prefecture, within the grounds of Ōshiko Jinja. Cut from tuff and weighing about 500 tons, it is isolated from surrounding bedrock on three sides so it can be circled, and its hollow, water-filled setting and hidden central support make it seem to hover above a pond. Its age, builders, and purpose remain unknown despite modern measurement studies. Mentioned in the Harima Kokudo Fudoki and later recorded by Philipp Franz von Siebold, it is also tied to local legends and to the nearby Tatsuyama Stone Quarries, part of a long regional tradition of stone extraction and monumental construction.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain