Oya Stone Quarry

The Oya History Museum (大谷資料館, Ōya Shiryōkan) is a museum built inside a massive former stone quarry northwest of central Utsunomiya. The man-made caverns were originally developed during the Edo Period to mine Oya Stone, a soft, yet durable volcanic stone that is only found locally. Utsunomiya's Oya-machi area-as the home of Oya stone-has the most easily accessible and impressive Oya stone buildings, quarries, and temples.

Look closely as you wander this district and you'll be surprised to see old storage houses converted into shops and restaurants sporting brownish. Ōya stone (大谷石, Ōya-ishi) is an igneous rock, created from lava and ash. Ōya stone was famously used in the facing of Frank Lloyd Wright 's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Utsunomiya, Home of Oya Stone Underground Adventure How far does this chilly space continue and go down? This huge space with high walls and pillars that are lined in order, the lights casting shadow one after another. Make a turn between the pillars and the same scenery spreads in front of your eyes, gradually making you disoriented. Created from lava and ash, igneous Oya stone is easily carvable, resistant to erosion, and has been used in Japan since the 17th century for everything from tombs to paving stones to Tokyo's Imperial Hotel.

Its use declined dramatically with the spread of concrete. The Oya History Museum opened in 1979, giving the quarries a new direction. Learn about Oya stone, a unique pumice stone used for buildings and art, and its cultural and natural significance in Utsunomiya.

Visit sites such as Futaarayama Shrine, Matsugamine Catholic Church, Oya History Museum and Kanehon Quarry. Oya Stone Mine In Tochigi - Tour Gigantic Subterranean Cathedrals Located just outside Utsunomiya City, the Oya stone quarry once supplied the ubiquitous "Oya stone" used for countless structures throughout Japan. This article introduces the highlights of the stone mine and Oya History Museum.

Oya Stone's history and impressive underground mining site are the highlights. Oya stone, which was also used in the former main building of the Imperial Hotel. The quarry site is a huge underground space created when Oya stone was excavated over a period of about 70 years.

Japan's Oya stone quarry, located near Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture, is a site of historical and geological significance. Oya stone, or Ōya-ishi, is a type of tuff formed from volcanic ash and lava roughly 15. Learn about the history and culture of Oya stone, a rough, whitish tuff found only in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture.

Discover how Oya stone was used in buildings, temples, and art, and explore its Japan Heritage sites.