In the middle of this journey, we come to a location that houses the tales of stone all in one place. That place is the Japan Heritage Center.

This is part of a program that recognizes stories which convey Japanese culture and traditions by featuring the historical beauty and uniqueness of regions.

In the building, you’ll come across various displays that detail the history of local stone through the processes of stonemasonry. You’ll go through excavation and transportation, as well as the process of using the stone in the construction of castles and modern buildings. You can take this opportunity to get an overview of this entire trip, which will give you a deeper understanding of the sights to come. Once you’ve gone through the exhibits and close the chapter on this section of your journey, you can step outside, where the real showcase is.

The Japan Heritage Center is located in the town of Fukuda, which is still a town of stone. There are five stone suppliers, and though they all work with the same material found on Shōdoshima Island, each business has polished their own unique set of skills. The five exhibits found in the hall showcase the various characteristics of their work.

This building was formerly an elementary school. If you take a look at the exterior of the schoolhouse, you’ll see that Shōdoshima Island’s stone was used in various areas of the campus. In front of the building is the very mountain where the rocks were excavated from. The students who attended this school had learned alongside the sound of quarrying.

In one corner of the campus sits a massive rock that is used to demonstrate how the rocks used in the construction of Osaka Castle’s walls were excavated, transported, and stacked. The people who took on this challenge were modern stonemasons who carry on the skills of the past. This is how true skill, which cannot be gleaned from a textbook, remains alive in the town of Fukuda. And stonemasons still visit from all across the country to learn these traditional techniques.

You can pick up a map for this journey at the Japan Heritage Center. Starting here, the history of stone will appear along a single path that emerges on your travels.