Database: Asuka Rocks

Asuka Rocks are the numerous stone structures in the Asuka region of Yamato (present-day Nara Prefecture). These megaliths, carved from granite, date back to the Asuka period (approximately the 7th century). Many of these immense stones are enigmatic and cannot be tied to any religion existing at the time. They were put in place at a time when Buddhism was spreading, yet they cannot be associated with this religion. Some see a connection with Taoism, but this is not convincing. However, it is possible to distinguish dolmen-type assemblies and other stones that have a more whimsical appearance. For example, the Ishibutai ruins are believed to be the tomb of Soga Umako, one of the highest-ranking officials who died in 626CE. It is a square tumulus with a bare, horizontal stone chamber built from 30 large and 30 small granite blocks. The total weight of the stones used for the ceiling is about 140 tons. This tumulus is symbolic of the Asuka megaliths. The area where this tomb is located is called Shimanosho and originally belonged to the Soga clan. A legend says that a fox disguised itself as a woman and performed a dance using the ceiling stone as a stage (hence the name of the site Ishibutai, "Stone Stage.")

In Kawahara, in the village of Asuka, there is a 2-meter-high stone called the turtle stone, whose face actually resembles a frog. The stone faces southwest, but legend says that if it were oriented west, the Yamato basin would be flooded and turned into a quagmire. It could indicate the site of an ancient temple, like other standing stones in the region.