Japan-Insights - The Kanayama Megaliths
Channel: Japan-Insights
Date: 2018-09-10

The Kanayama Megaliths form an ensemble of three megalithic sites in Hida Kanayama, Gifu prefecture. Two of them are close to each other, near the stream that flows into the Iwaya Dam. One of these is called Iwaya-Iwakage, the cavern of stone, providing sunlight viewing for winter and leap-year measurements. The other one is Senkoku-Ishi, the marked stone, where summer-time observations are done. When one site is ready to take a hiatus, the other one takes over. The third site is located to the east, 200m higher, near the peak of Higashinoyama, the Eastern Mountain. It is where the winter solstice sunrise is observed. Set-up around 5,000 years ago, the Kanayama Megaliths are still working today – in a mountain forest, a most unusual environment for sun-watching.