Ishi-no-Hōden, the Floating Stone
In a Japanese shrine, a giant carved stone sits in a pool of water, seeming to float. No one knows who carved it, or why.
What was reported
At the Ōshiko Shrine in Takasago, a huge block of stone weighing around 500 tonnes stands in a rock-cut pit filled with water, so that it appears to float. It was carved out of the surrounding rock, on all sides except a narrow strip beneath it, and has a strange box-like shape with a protrusion on one side.
It is one of the 'three wonders' of Japan, and a sacred object of the shrine. Records mention it as early as the 8th century.
Explanations offered
Who carved it, when, and for what purpose is unknown. Suggestions include an unfinished burial chamber or a stone that was meant to be moved but never was. The stone is still worshipped at the shrine today.
- When
- Carved by the 7th century
- Where
- Ōshiko Shrine, Takasago, Hyōgo, Japan
- Witnesses
- Shrine keepers and visitors
- Status
- Purpose unknown
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.