Not many people may know the name "Giant Rock of Chiroro." It's an immense stone that seems to have suddenly appeared in the natural landscape of Hidaka Town.

It weighs a staggering 180 tons and is said to be the largest crystalline schist in Japan. Why is something of this scale located here? I decided to investigate.

The Giant Rock of Chiroro seems so immense that it probably wouldn't budge even if dozens or hundreds of strong men tried to move it. Its true identity is a Hidaka stone, excavated in 1974 from the Penke Yukutorashinai River in Hidaka by Genjiro Kuribayashi, the first president of Hakko Gakuen, who was an avid ore collector. Although he managed to transport it to its current location in Sawaguchi, he was unable to get permission to move it further on public roads. Ultimately, before it could be moved again, Mr. Kuribayashi passed away in 1977, and the plan was abandoned.

(Photo courtesy of Hidaka Town Office)

In 1984, the Giant Rock of Chiroro was donated to Hidaka Town. The private land where the rock sits was previously leased by Mr. Kuribayashi, but it is now leased by the town. The Hidaka Region Revitalization Council also cleans the rock, showing how the town has firmly carried on Mr. Kuribayashi's wishes.
And so, this curious sight of a giant rock in the middle of nature has been protected by human hands for over 40 years. When you first see this rock, it might feel out of place, but after gazing at it for a while, it somehow starts to feel right. It even sparks the imagination—it might start to look like a decaying battleship, or a humpback whale washed ashore...
By the way, the origin of the word "Chiroro" is uncertain, with various theories suggesting it's an archaic Ainu word or a corruption of the pronunciation "chiriri." It simply exists, here and now, as the Giant Rock of Chiroro.

＜Special Thanks＞
Hidaka Town Office, Hidaka General Branch
Location: 3-299-1 Honcho-higashi, Hidaka-cho, Saru-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 01457-6-2008
Official Website: http://www.town.hidaka.hokkaido.jp