Ōyu Stone Circle

Overview

The Ōyu Stone Circle is a late Jomon period archaeological site located in Towada-Ōyu, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture. Designated as a Special Historic Site, it was registered as a World Heritage site in 2021 as one of the components of the "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Honshu, Japan". The "Manza Stone Circle" and "Nonakadō Stone Circle", positioned facing each other in an east-west orientation, boast impressive sizes of 46 meters and 44 meters respectively, making them among the largest stone circles in Japan. Concentrically arranged around each stone circle are post-and-pillar buildings, storage pits, and pit graves. Numerous ritual and ceremonial objects, including dogū (clay figurines), clay tablets, animal-shaped clay figurines, bell-shaped clay artifacts, stone sticks, and stone knives, have been unearthed in the surrounding area. The Ōyu Stone Circle provides invaluable insights into the lives and beliefs of the Jomon people. Its layout, with the center of the stone circle and a sundial-like arrangement of stones aligned, suggests the performance of rituals. Its near alignment with the sunset direction on the summer solstice further indicates a possible connection to the movement of the sun. Today, the Ōyu Stone Circle Museum offers visitors a guidance facility with exhibitions and explanations about the site. Guided tours by volunteers are also available, so be sure to visit!