The Yabuzuka Quarry Site in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture. The unintended structure, which was created by mining a rocky hill, stands quietly deep in the mountains.
About 20 million years ago, pumice tuff deposited by volcanic activity was uplifted by crustal movement and exposed in various places, becoming Yabuzuka-ishi. The Yabuzuka stone was mined on a small scale from the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), but it began to flourish after the establishment of Yabuzuka Stone Co. The stone was soft, easy to work, and inexpensive, so it was used for building foundations and fences, and was also sold for use as kamado, a portable cooking stove, because it was extremely resistant to heat. When the Tobu Railway was built in 1913, the name of Yabuzuka-ishi spread from the Kanto region to Nagano Prefecture. At that time, there were about 350 laborers working at Yabuzuka Stone. The biggest disadvantages of Yabuzuka-ishi, however, were that it was weak against water, had pebbles in it, and had many cracks in its layers, which cost more labor than Oya-ishi of the same quality. The quality of the stone was gradually becoming less and less desirable. The quarry was closed around 1955, leaving such large mining sites in various places. ［From the explanation at the entrance to the quarry.]
The Yabuzuka Quarry 3426-5, Yabuzuka-cho, Ota-shi, Gunma 379-2301 Japan Google Map
Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice was established in honor of the physicist Nakaya Ukichiro. Its courtyard is covered with stones brought from a glacier in Greenland.
Mt. Fuji as a volcano, which is often forgotten when just gazing at it from afar, and the overwhelming power of the earth's workings were strongly impressed upon my mind.
It is an art museum established by sculptor Isamu Noguchi before his death to exhibit his work. Visitors can see a variety of Isamu Noguchi's works inside and outside his former studio, which was converted from a printing factory and a gas station.
Places: The Yabuzuka Quarry, Ota, Gunma
The Yabuzuka Quarry Site in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture. The unintended structure, which was created by mining a rocky hill, stands quietly deep in the mountains.
About 20 million years ago, pumice tuff deposited by volcanic activity was uplifted by crustal movement and exposed in various places, becoming Yabuzuka-ishi. The Yabuzuka stone was mined on a small scale from the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), but it began to flourish after the establishment of Yabuzuka Stone Co. The stone was soft, easy to work, and inexpensive, so it was used for building foundations and fences, and was also sold for use as kamado, a portable cooking stove, because it was extremely resistant to heat.
When the Tobu Railway was built in 1913, the name of Yabuzuka-ishi spread from the Kanto region to Nagano Prefecture. At that time, there were about 350 laborers working at Yabuzuka Stone. The biggest disadvantages of Yabuzuka-ishi, however, were that it was weak against water, had pebbles in it, and had many cracks in its layers, which cost more labor than Oya-ishi of the same quality. The quality of the stone was gradually becoming less and less desirable. The quarry was closed around 1955, leaving such large mining sites in various places. ［From the explanation at the entrance to the quarry.]
The Yabuzuka Quarry
3426-5, Yabuzuka-cho, Ota-shi, Gunma 379-2301 Japan
Google Map
Photograph: Shioda Yuya
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