Virtual Tour | Ishi no Hoden: The Colossal 500-ton Monolith with Mysterious Origins
Yes, this is the place featured on History Channel’s ‘Ancient Aliens’, and was most certainly not created by aliens. In the English language, Ishi no Hoden (石の宝殿) literally means ‘Stone Sanctuary’ or ‘Stone Treasure Hall’, and is a mysterious monolith located on the grounds of Oshiko Shrine (生石神社), south of Osaka-Kobe. The area was known for the stone quarries, used as far back as the Kofun (Tumulus) Period (about 300-500 CE). Weighing around 500 tons, nobody can conclusively say when it was made, who made it, or why. Made from tuff (a kind of volcanic ash), it appears to be floating on the small in which it rests due to the carved pillar underneath and not visible at eye level. At the back, there is a pyramid-shape carved out of the stone. Ishi no Hoden is mentioned in the “Harima Kokudo Fudoki”, which is dated to around 713 to 717, so it is certainly quite old. It may have initially had a religious purpose, or perhaps a monument to a powerful leader.
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