Ishikiri Valley Observation Deck

Kitagijima has flourished as a ``stone island'' for the production and processing of granite since ancient times. Kitagi stone, which is quarried on the island, is used in many buildings, including the stone walls of Osaka Castle, the Otorii gate of Yasukuni Shrine, and the Tokyo Station Marunouchi station building. From the mid-Meiji period to the 1950s, when the quality of the stone became known throughout the country, the number of quarries (quarries for cutting stone) increased on the island, and by 1952, when it was at its peak, there were 127 quarries. It was working. After the work became mechanized in the 1950s, people dug deep underground in search of high-quality stone, resulting in the creation of cliffs that soar to the sky. Quarrying still continues in this area, and you can enjoy the magnificent view from the stone-cut valley observation deck, which is about 60 meters high.