Despite the laws of physics, the 500-ton rock keeps hanging in the air - The experts are also helpless!

Neither Japanese archaeologists nor historians have given any clues about this huge rock.

Ishi-no-Hoden is one of Japan's most mysterious monuments. This is a huge stone structure in the shape of an old TV nearly 6 meters high and weighs 500 tons. From a distance, the stone seems to be floating above a pond in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The Ishi-no-Hoden (literally "Stone Treasure Hall") is one of the largest and oldest puzzles in both Japanese history and archeology. It is a giant megalith located in the Kansai region, in the Amidacho neighborhood, in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The path leading to the top of the small mountain has Ishi-no-Hoden. (Image: Setouchi Finder).

The rock is carved from hyaloclastite , a glass-rich hydrated rock that formed during volcanic eruptions underwater or under ice 70 million years ago. Ishi-no-Hoden is one of the three most mysterious and strange rocks in Japan.

It is even larger than the stone blocks used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Ishi-no-Hoden is surrounded by a shimenawa rope, in Japanese religion, this rope is used to mark sacred things. (Image: Claudio Suenaga).

The mountain area where the stone is located is called Hodenyama . There is an ancient quarry that has been quarried for centuries. The stone was used as a material for coffins and for building bridges. In October 2014, Yongsan Quarry was designated a historical site and a National Treasure of Japan.

At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is still complicated, and people are advised to limit their travel, Ishi-no-Hoden still attracts many pilgrims.

That's because legend has it that over 2000 years ago, there was an epidemic raging in Japan. Then Ookuninushi and Sukunabikona (two gods in Japanese culture) gave a dream to Emperor Sujin: "If you dedicate it to us, the country will be protected".

Before that, the emperor had learned that there was a god residing in the rock Ishi-no-Hoden. The king immediately did as he was told and the pandemic disappeared.

Unusual background of the strange rock

The mystery of the Ishi-no-Hoden lies in its creation as well as its purpose. So far, experts have not been able to find the tools to cut the rock, nor any inscriptions or carvings that indicate the process, who made it and its meaning.

The existence of the stone is recorded in the Harima Fudoki (an ancient historical record of Harima province, compiled from 713 onwards). However, in actual records, the exact details of Ishi-no-Hoden are neither confirmed nor documented as to why the stone was created.

Close-up of Ishi-no-Hoden "floating" on the water with perfect slices. (Image: Claudio Suenaga)

Records from the history of the city of Takasago only confirm that Ishi-no-Hoden was a popular site during the Nara period (710 - 794). Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796 - 1866), German physician, botanist, naturalist and explorer stopped at the rock during his journey from Nagasaki to Edo (now called Tokyo). in 1826.

The rock is cleverly designed and looks like it is floating on water. Therefore it is also known as Uki-Ishi (Floating Rock). According to temple records, the rock reservoir never ran dry, even during periods of prolonged drought.

Takasago City Council together with Otemae University History Laboratory conducted studies on Ishi-no-Hoden in 2005 - 2006. Three-dimensional measurements were taken, and the characteristics of the rocks The surrounding rock was also analyzed. However, traditional archaeologists and historians have failed to come up with any other clues about the carving tool and why it was created.

Experts can only be sure that Ishi-no-Hoden was created by a developed and advanced civilization. The creator of the rock has created a masterpiece that lasts for thousands of years.