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The online magazine HIGHLIGHTING JAPAN

October 2021

JAPAN’S RICH CULTURE OF STONE

Cover October 2021

INDEX

  • THEME FOR OctoberJAPAN’S RICH CULTURE OF STONE

    Since ancient times, Japanese people have made extensive use of stones of different kinds as materials for tools, construction, and handicrafts. In this month’s issue, we look at some of the characteristic features and uses of stones in Japanese culture.

     

FEATURES

  • The Diversity of Japanese Stones

    An interview with Nishimoto Shoji, professor at Aichi University

  • Jadeite, A Representative Stone of Japan

    Jadeite, a stone that occurs naturally in Japan, has long had a special place in the affections of Japanese people.

  • Oya Stone: Loved through the Ages

    The culture of quarrying Oya stone and using it in various ways has been passed down through the generations in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture.

  • Japan’s Stone Architecture, Born of Modernization

    The National Diet Building in Tokyo was constructed using a variety of stones sourced from around Japan as the country pursued modernization.

  • Stone Buddhas Reflecting the Passage of Time

    Usuki City, Oita Prefecture is home to clusters of rock-carved Buddha images known for their delicate and elegant forms.

  • Suiseki: The Essence of Nature in a Single Stone

    Suiseki is the art of appreciation of a single naturally occurring stone.

  • The Stone Walls of Osaka Castle

    The stone walls of Osaka Castle demonstrate the high standard of Japanese construction technology when the castle was built early in the seventeenth century.

  • Stones in a Japanese Garden—Permanence and the Changing Seasons

    One Japanese garden noted for the conspicuous role stones play is Taizo-in, part of the Myoshin-ji temple complex in Kyoto.

Also

VIDEOS

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