"Datekanmuriishi" (Date-Kanmuri Stone). Currently, a certain stone is attracting attention not only in Japan but also from artists and creators in Europe and America. There is a company that has been quarrying this "Datekanmuriishi" for over 100 years, based at Mt. Okura, located at the southernmost tip of Miyagi Prefecture. The company's current name is "Okurayama Studio." Their efforts to promote the value of stones nurtured by Japan's climate to the world have been highly praised, and they received the "PREMIUM JAPAN AWARD 2026." In May, when a gentle rain softly wets the fresh green leaves, we visited "Okurayama Studio," a company that has been carrying out cutting-edge activities that go beyond the realm of a mere quarrying company, for two generations of the same family.

A strange landscape unfolds before my eyes. A surge of energy.

A strange landscape unfolds before my eyes. Countless dark brown lumps lie scattered across the rain-soaked green meadow. The cross-sections, as if carved with a sharp blade, gleam dully in the rain. It is quiet. However, the overwhelming presence emanating from each individual lumps, and the unique beauty of their forms, no two being alike, surge forth as a powerful energy. I am overwhelmed and speechless. Should I call these lumps rocks, or stones? I simply stand there, lost in thought, pondering such pointless questions.

Formed by crustal deformation caused by volcanic activity more than 2000 million years ago.

It's about a 20-minute drive from Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen. As you ascend a narrow mountain road where houses become sparse, this scene appears. The place is called Marumori-cho, Igu-gun, Miyagi Prefecture, and the mountain, about 300 meters high, is called Okurayama. The countless rock fragments scattered on the mountainside belong to the geological classification of "andesite," but only those produced here on Okurayama are named "Datekanmuriishi." There's a reason for the name. It possesses unique properties that are found nowhere else in the world. Takasuke Yamada, who leads "Okurayama Studio," describes its uniqueness as follows.

"Datekanmuriishi was formed by crustal movements caused by volcanic activity more than 2000 million years ago. Since its formation, it has been buried for millions of years in mud rich in iron, resulting in a variety of appearances, from earthy, rounded stones to stones resembling pottery. However, when cut and polished, it reveals an extremely smooth cross-section with a deep blackish-brown color like ebony. Also, because it contains a lot of iron, it gradually changes to a rich, rusty iron color over time. Andesite is the most common rock on Earth, but only Datekanmuiriishi, found at Mt. Okura, possesses these unique characteristics."

From "Yamada Quarrying Planning Co., Ltd." to "Okurayama Studio"

The stone, which appears when you dig about 10 meters down from the surface, was covered in a yellow, muddy soil, and was therefore called "Mud-covered Stone" by the locals. It was Yamada's father, Yamada Masahiro, who named the stone "Datekanmuriishi Stone." Furthermore, it was the fifth generation, Takasuke, who changed the name of "Yamada Quarrying Planning Co., Ltd.," which Masahiro had run as the fourth generation, to "Okurayama Studio." According to Takasuke, the first generation moved from Hyogo during the Meiji period, was involved in the construction of several bridge piers in Sendai, and only began quarrying at Okurayama in his later years. At that time, the unique properties of "Datekanmuriishi Stone" were not recognized, and it was mainly used as building material for "earth retaining" to prevent the collapse of soil and rocks.

"During my grandfather's time, the demand for gravestones spread throughout the country due to the large number of people who died in the Pacific War. My grandfather not only owned several quarries across the country, but also actively imported stone materials from overseas, and in addition to selling raw materials, he manufactured and sold gravestones that he had processed himself. When my father took over the business in the 1980s, boosted by the bubble economy, requests for sculptures and public works also increased, so for a time the company operated as a company that only produced monuments. However, with the economic downturn, requests for monument production decreased, so my father returned to a business model that focused on gravestones."

"Returning life to the mountains." This is the belief held by the fourth generation.

By the 1970s, the Okurayama quarry, which had been mined for many years, was, like most other quarries, a desolate landscape with its mountainside eroded. Aside from the fact that it produced stone with unique properties, Okurayama might have appeared as bleak as any other quarry scattered throughout Japan. However, Masahiro's conviction changed that.

His belief was "to return life to the mountain." Based on this belief, by returning the soil to the areas where mining had ended and planting trees, Mount Okura was transformed into a lush, green rural landscape. Supporting Masahiro's belief was not only his own temperament, but also the interactions between the Yamada family and numerous artists, including Isamu Noguchi, who was captivated by the charm of "Datekanmuriishi stone" and visited Mount Okura to create works in the early 1970s. In the 80s, Masahiro spent a great deal of time on the cultural regeneration of Mount Okura. This was a time when no one was yet using words like "sustainable" or "sustainable."

"It's about 50 hectares. That's big enough to fit Tokyo Disneyland inside."

As he gripped the steering wheel and drove along the mountain road on Mt. Okura, Mr. Takasuke said nonchalantly, "My father and his generation have extracted more than enough, so I have no intention of quarrying any more." The scenery introduced at the beginning was a storage and display area for the "Datekanmuriishi stone" that had been extracted by previous generations. It might be more accurate to say that the stones were "placed there" rather than "lying around."

Near where the excavated "Datekanmuriishi" stone is placed, there is a cliff where the "Datekanmuriishi" stone is exposed. There are numerous cracks running through it. At the bottom of the cliff, there are piles of rubble of various sizes and shapes, possibly from natural collapse. The color changes from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. It is clear how the "Datekanmuriishi" stone lay dormant underground for tens of thousands of years. And this cliff, too, looms with an overwhelming presence.

A vast outdoor museum centered around the "Datekanmuriishi" stone.

As mentioned earlier, it was Takasuke who changed the name to "Okurayama Studio" seven years ago. This name succinctly represents Takasuke's current activities. This is because the vast, green-covered Okurayama Mountain is both an outdoor museum and an experimental laboratory, mediated by "Datekanmuriishi" (Datekanmuriishi stone). There, you'll find a variety of "facilities" scattered throughout, including the uniquely structured headquarters building, an outdoor stage called "Ishibutai" (Stone Stage) reminiscent of Stonehenge in England, and a monument that combines the natural philosophy of the Republic of Latvia with the Olympic Games philosophy of Japan. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a "Datekanmuriishi Theme Park." Most of these were built by his father, Masahiro, but Takasuke uses them as a base to try out various activities.

A colossal stone pillar stands tall. It revives the primal emotions that humanity once harbored.

One such building is called the "Yamado Salon." Stepping inside this wooden structure with a triangular roof surrounded by thick earthen walls, the first thing that catches the eye is a towering stone pillar. This, too, is a "Datekanmuriishi stone," and it is said to be an extremely rare shape, excavated in a state called "columnar jointing." It stands more than 4 meters tall. Before this "Datekanmuriishi stone," which can only be described as "standing tall," everyone prostrates themselves and bows their heads.

"I want to make 'Okurayama Studio' a place where we can rekindle the feeling that humanity must have had long before the emergence of religion—a feeling akin to worship and awe towards nature—a feeling that people today have forgotten," says Takasuke, who has provided the "Yamado Salon" and "Ishibutai" to artists and held live performances under the name "GALLERY LOCI." He also has plans to use the "Yamado Salon" and the adjacent "Guest House" to host food events by local chefs. A tea room with a tea garden featuring "Datekanmuriishi" stones is also under construction.

"This is a place where we feel reverence and awe for nature, and at the same time, we want to use Mount Okura to transmit culture, with art as the key word, to the world."

Graphic design, studied at an art university in London.

Takasuke himself has followed a path in art.

"I've always loved painting, and I was in the art club during my university years. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition, and someone who saw my work there advised me that I should go to England or America. Encouraged by that, after graduation I went to England and studied graphic design at an art university in London."

After returning to Japan in 2008, Takasuke, who inherited the family business as the fifth generation, changed the company name and attempted a major shift in direction. He actively promoted the unique characteristics of "Datekanmuriishi" to architectural firms and product designers, encouraging their use as building materials and materials for artworks.

"My father was passionate about revitalizing Okurayama, but the core of his business was still gravestones. When we changed direction, sales initially declined and we struggled."

However, their persistent efforts paid off, and orders from architectural firms gradually increased. Architects began to realize that the complex texture of "Datekanmuriishi" gave commercial buildings such as hotels and restaurants a distinctive character.

Furthermore, collaborations with artists with whom he had built a relationship of trust also increased. When working with artists, Takasuke makes a point of keeping one thing in mind: not simply providing "Datekanmuriishi stone" as a material, but understanding in advance what kind of concept the work has and how it will be used. Therefore, in the stage before collaborating, he carefully reads the concept that will serve as the foundation of the expression and pays close attention to whether the story that "Okurayama Studio" cherishes aligns with the concept of the work.

Many design firms entrust the entire process, from concept to execution, to Okurayama Studio. In such cases, they become fully involved from the early stages of the planning process. This involves researching not only the basic concept and direction of the project, but also the surrounding environment and culture, and first establishing a concept. Then, Mr. Takasuke sketches the form that emerges from the concept, and the process involves creating the form using "Datekanmuriishi stone" in their own workshop. They also undertake the entire process, including on-site construction.

The ever-changing beauty inherent in "Datekansmuriishi"

Okurayama Studio also handles a variety of products, including door handles, washbasins, bathtubs, and tables. These products, imbued with Mr. Takasuke's aesthetic sense, are now attracting worldwide attention, and the number of installations overseas is increasing. The combination of the sharp, glossy black cross-section and the surface with its complex color transitions from ochre to reddish-brown, combined with the unique sculptural beauty of "Datekanmuriishi stone," creates an extremely modern impression.

At the same time, it undeniably evokes a uniquely Japanese aesthetic, reminiscent of the "wabi-sabi" of the tea ceremony. Perhaps this is because the "Datekanmuriishi stone," nurtured over an immense period of time, embodies the beauty of things that are constantly changing. It may be difficult to truly appreciate the changes that "Datekanmuriishi stone" undergoes over time. However, the stone undeniably transforms over the course of eons, revealing new forms of beauty. This is undoubtedly the "beauty of change," and the very essence of the aesthetic sensibilities that the Japanese have cherished. The fact that overseas artists are interested in "Datekanmuriishi stone" is surely because they are keenly aware of this uniquely Japanese beauty.

Nestled amidst soft greenery, Mount Okurayama has a relatively gentle slope, giving it the feel of a hilly park perfect for elementary school field trips. It's hard to imagine that world-renowned gemstones lie dormant 10 meters underground. The Okurayama Studio, which has grown significantly and continues to evolve through the sincere dedication and sometimes confrontation with stones of two generations of father and son, is now attracting the keen attention of the world from this rural mountain area of ​​Tohoku.

* Entry to "Okurayama Studio" is restricted to business associates only, and visits are permitted by reservation only.