Uchikura & Co., LLC

The Rocks Japan Refused to Move

 

In Nishinomiya, Japan, two large rocks known as Meoto Iwa—the “Married Couple Rocks”—sit directly in the middle of a road. Instead of removing them, engineers divided the road so that traffic passes on both sides.

 

According to local legend, attempts were once made to remove the rocks. However, the work was reportedly followed by accidents, misfortune, and even deaths. Whether these stories are historically accurate is uncertain, but people eventually decided it was better to leave the rocks undisturbed. The road was built around them. Local accounts describe the rocks and their legend.

 

This story reflects an important part of traditional Japanese belief. In Shinto, kami—sacred spirits or divine presences—may reside in mountains, waterfalls, trees, rocks, and other natural objects. The Japanese expression yaoyorozu no kami means “eight million kami,” but it actually suggests that sacred presences exist everywhere and are too numerous to count.

 

To some people, Meoto Iwa may simply be an inconvenient pair of rocks. To others, they are something that should be respected.

 

Japan’s answer was not to conquer nature, but to change the road.

 

PS: Those rocks are not far from my family home in Japan. When I was young, I often rode my bicycle past them. They are still there today, standing in the middle of the road just as I remember them.