Photo/Illutration "Men no ishi" in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, in November 2014 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The village of Minamiaso in Kumamoto Prefecture is home to a "hanging boulder" that remained precariously balanced midair at the mouth of a cavern on Mount Gairinzan.

Because nothing seemed capable of knocking this boulder off its post, it came to be called "men no ishi," meaning the stone is safe from a fall or any unfortunate outcome.

However, it did finally fall five years ago, much to the disappointment of villagers. It was dislodged by the main tremor of the Kumamoto Earthquakes of 2016.

"We used to promote this stone as a lucky charm for school entrance test candidates, job seekers and election candidates praying for success," said Isao Kashiwada, 80, a local hiking guide.

The cone-shaped rock was also starting to go viral on social media as a "power spot" and attracting more hikers, according to Kashiwada. 

The week after the main shock, he went looking for the rock and found it resting on the hillside 50 meters below the cavern where it used to "hang."

He was surprised to find the rock intact and without even a crack.

With the cooperation of the village office, he installed a signboard next to the rock that said, "The miracle rock that even a fall couldn't crack." 

He also built steps and ladders along the hiking trail, and provided lifelines at treacherous spots.

April 16 will be exactly five years since the Kumamoto Earthquakes' main tremor struck.

Until then, I never knew that a severe jolt with an intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale of 7 could occur twice. I was also deeply saddened by the large number of people who died from quake-related causes after escaping the tremors themselves.

As many as 276 people lost their lives in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures. And in Kumamoto, 400 survivors are still forced to live in temporary housing.    

A collection of poems, titled "Kumamoto Jishin Shinsai Manyoshu" (The Kumamoto Earthquakes Manyoshu of disaster), contains this piece by Yoko Sakata: "The spring sun shines on the entire land/ But the Aso Mountain Range of Kumamoto Prefecture is still under recovery."

The recovery work is still only halfway through, but there have been some welcome developments.

Last summer, Japan Railway Co.'s Hohi Line, which remained partially out of service after the quake, was finally fully restored.

A new bridge, built to replace the collapsed Aso Ohashi bridge, opened last month to reconnect to the local transportation artery.

Gazing at the panoramic view of Mount Aso's caldera from near the famed men no ishi, I felt encouraged by the resilience and energy of the people who are continuing to get their lives back on track, undaunted by the disaster.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 15        

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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