About
In a quiet corner of Takano, Moriya City, nestled within a lush, green rural landscape, there stands a solitary stone monument. This is the “Narita Fudo Myo-o Sacred Stone Monument,” locally known as the “Takano Ghost Stone.”
It is said that this monument was erected in 1898 (Meiji 31) by the ascetic Takuo of the Komeiko group from Fukuoka Village in Tsukuba District (now Tsukubamirai City). Standing at an imposing height of about 150 centimeters, 107 centimeters wide, and 29 centimeters thick, it bears a line engraving of Fudo Myo-o and the inscription “Naritasan.”
In the summer of 1975 (Showa 50), everything changed when a local elementary school girl claimed to see “a human face reflected” in the stone. The rumor quickly spread, and newspapers and television talk shows covered the story daily, drawing crowds of onlookers from all over the country. Some people said they saw the face of a woman with long hair, while others claimed an old man’s face appeared. There were even rumors that the ghost of Taira no Masakado had manifested.
This site is located behind the main hall of Daiyozan Kaizenji Temple, which is associated with Taira no Masakado. The fact that a monument to Naritasan Fudo Myo-o, who is said to have subdued Masakado, was erected in a place deeply connected to him, left local residents with mixed feelings. As a result, many connected the face that appeared on the stone to Masakado’s vengeful spirit.
Among the visitors, some offered coins at the monument, and at one point, the offering box was stolen. However, it is said that the thief later got into a motorcycle accident and, fearing it was the curse of the ghost stone, returned the money through an intermediary.
Eventually, as the autumn winds began to blow, the number of visitors dwindled. After someone spray-painted graffiti on the stone, the face reportedly disappeared. Today, the monument is quietly protected by an iron fence and wire mesh.
Next to this monument stands a shrine to “Nikko Daigongen,” said to have been founded in 1826 (Bunsei 9). The enshrined deity is Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the shrine is affectionately known locally as “Nikko-sama.” Within the precincts, there are other stone monuments such as those to Shomen Kongo, attesting to the area’s deep history and faith.
On the official website of Moriya City, this stone monument is introduced as one of the “Seven Wonders of Moriya,” making it a valuable presence that conveys the region’s history and culture.
Why not visit this tranquil place, recall the commotion of the past, and feel the breath of history?