Sakafune-ishi Ruins

The Sakafune-ishi Archaeological Site in Asuka village, Nara Prefecture, features a giant granite slab measuring 5.5 metres long, 2.3 metres wide, and 1 metre thick, with circular dents and grooves carved into its upper surface. Nearby, excavations in 2000 uncovered turtle-shaped and coin-shaped stonework forming a water management system where water entered through the turtle's head and flowed from its tail. The site is linked to Empress Saimei (7th century AD), who is believed to have performed fertility rites and ceremonies here, as referenced in the Nihon Shoki chronicles.