Photo/Illutration The three “stones of love” stand on the side of the Shimantogawa river in Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture, on Aug. 3. (Masatoshi Kasahara)

SHIMANTO, Kochi Prefecture--A beloved heart-shaped stone standing beside the Shimantogawa river now has a family.

Two more stones shaped like hearts but in different sizes were placed beside the original, reflecting hopes for a quick end to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the creators said.

The original, dubbed the “stone of love” by locals, weighs 15 kilograms and measures 45 centimeters by 40 cm.

Hidetoshi Takimoto, 55, who lives in Matsuno in nearby Ehime Prefecture and works as a nature guide, set up the stone at the foot of the Hagechinkabashi bridge that crosses the river in the Nishi-Tosahage district here.

He found the heart-shaped stone in the bottom of the river four years ago. He thought it could be a symbol of the river, which has been called Japan’s last clean body of water.

Since then, Takimoto has “resurrected” the stone each time it falls over in typhoons and floods.

The stone became a new “destination for lovers” and attracted couples and female fans from around the country.

On the morning of Aug. 3, two heart-shaped stones were standing next to the original.

According to Takimoto, they were set up by his fellow nature guide two days earlier. The guide found the two stones on the riverside.

The smallest stone sits between the two larger ones, creating the semblance of a three-member family. The newly added stones appear as if they are kissing the original.

“I heard that they carry hopes of offering health and safety to visitors and bringing an end to the coronavirus pandemic as soon as possible so that tourists will come back to the Shimantogawa river,” Takimoto said.

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