Worksite Ruins of Kitagi-shima Quarry and Remains of Stone-Cutting Work and Culture, As Seen from a Community Road

Kitagi-shima Island is known as an island of stone. The stone quarried from the island was used in building the Osaka Castle, Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo Station and many other major structures. The excavation of Kitagi Stone gave birth to stone-cutting songs which were essential to the laborers’ work life. It also formed the quarries with their spectacular landscape and the ponds created in the quarry ruins. The excavation work produced as a byproduct reflections of traditional culture that have lived onto the present day. There were two quarries located on the island, producing Kitagi Stone that was used in every part of Japan and is absolutely worth preserving for future generations as a local Kasaoka resource.
The quarries created by the excavations (including the remains), Kitagi Stone, and the landscape surrounding them are all part of the island’s history. In addition, the stone-cutting tools and other artifacts at the Kitagi Stone Memorial Room are registered as cultural properties. Together with the stone-cutting songs created during the quarrying work, they represent tangible and intangible local resources.