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. 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. 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. 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.
In 1979, the Oya History Museum was established and the subterranean quarry finally opened to the public. Oya Stone, quarried in the Oya district of Utsunomiya City. Known for its fire resistance and softness, making it easy to work with, it is widely used as a building material.
The Oya Stone Museum allows visitors to explore the former quarry sites. Its breathtaking, massive underground space, reaching 30 meters below ground, captivates all who see it. Oya History Museum in Utsunomiya takes you underground into a massive stone quarry filled with history, art, and dramatic architecture.
The quarry's story physically documents the Industrial Revolution's impact on manual labor. Eventually, with the rise of cheaper and more versatile concrete after World War II, demand for Oya stone declined. One by one, quarries closed, with this largest site ceasing operations in 1986.
Descend into Oya History Museum in Tochigi Prefecture, where old quarry tunnels reveal a mysterious, cathedral-like underground space. The vast former Oya stone quarry underground at the Oya History Museum in Utsunomiya, Tochigi. 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.