山の内側を彫る
福光石の石切場 — Yunotsu, Shimane
On a rainy day in Yunotsu, a rock face emerges between trees and dense greenery. Its surface is covered with small, repeated marks—traces of stone being cut away, gradually opening a space within the mountain.
The story of Fukumitsu stone begins around 15 million years ago, when volcanic ash and other erupted material accumulated on the seabed and eventually formed rock. The resulting green volcanic tuff has a distinctive pale colour and a relatively soft texture, making it easy to cut and carve.
Quarrying here dates back to the Muromachi period. Over the centuries, Fukumitsu stone became part of the region’s built landscape, including stone monuments and gravestones around Iwami Ginzan. Extraction continues deeper within the quarry today.
Inside, this long history of work becomes visible through texture. Closely spaced cuts gather into rhythmic patterns. Their changing directions reveal how the rock was approached and worked, while light and shadow bring out the depth of each groove.
Seen closely, the surfaces resemble carved reliefs. From a distance, the accumulated marks become part of something much larger: an immense sculptural interior, formed as blocks of stone were removed.
There are several layers of time here. The volcanic deposits belong to the formation of the land; the cut surfaces record generations of labour. Each act of extraction connects these different times, leaving a new edge, a new texture, another space.
Stone taken from the mountain finds a purpose elsewhere. What remains is equally striking—a landscape of traces, where the work of carving material has also carved space.
福光石 石切り場 - 温泉津めぐり 島根県大田市温泉津町福光ハ107-1