Reconstructing the material foundations of Tokyo through the history of stone.

The Izu Stone Culture Research Association is a Japan-based non-profit organization dedicated to the study, documentation, and public interpretation of stone-related industrial heritage.

Izu stone was one of the principal building materials that supported the construction of Edo (early modern Tokyo) from the seventeenth century through the early twentieth century. It was extensively used in large-scale urban infrastructure, including the defensive perimeter known as the Sōgamae of Edo Castle, which encompassed the broader urban territory of the shogunal capital.

During Japan’s modernization, the stone industry developed alongside the introduction of Western engineering and architectural technologies. Izu stone was incorporated into emerging forms of Western-style architecture, and it remains visible today in a number of historic buildings in Tokyo, illustrating the material continuity between early modernization and the contemporary urban landscape.

In Japan, the Cultural Properties Protection Act was revised in 2018, encouraging a broader approach that emphasizes not only the preservation of cultural properties but also their active utilization, in ways comparable to international heritage practices. At the same time, growing attention has been directed toward modern industrial heritage as an essential component of cultural landscapes.

Despite the historical significance of stone in Japan’s urban development, the stone industry itself has not yet been systematically studied. As a result, the industrial foundations underlying many stone-built cultural properties remain insufficiently understood, which can present challenges when evaluating such sites within heritage frameworks.

Our research therefore seeks to establish a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the stone quarrying–processing–transport–end-use network that sustained the growth of Edo and modern Tokyo. Through historical investigation, field surveys, and archival research, we aim to clarify this integrated industrial landscape as a basis for more informed heritage evaluation.

We believe that examining such systems from an East Asian perspective may contribute to expanding international and comparative discussions on quarry landscapes, industrial heritage, and the material foundations of urban development.

We are currently developing international research connections in this field and welcome scholarly exchange with researchers, institutions, and organizations who share related interests.

If you would like to connect with us, please feel free to contact:

Yoshiki Kemmochi
Izu Stone Culture Research Association (Japan)
Email: contact@izustone.or.jp