{
  "id": 9009690,
  "title": "Hashigui-iwa: Wakayama’s Stone Pillars and the Legend of a Bridge Built in a Single Night",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/hashigui-iwa-wakayamas-stone-pillars-and-the-legend-of-a-bridge-built",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T21:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nippon.com",
    "slug": "nippon-com",
    "url": "https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu022021/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Along the coast of Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture, a series of towering rock formations known as Hashigui-iwa line the shore, extending nearly 850 meters into the sea. The striking resemblance of these 40 monoliths, both large and small, to the piers of a bridge led to their name, \"hashigui-iwa.\" Created by volcanic activity 15 million years ago, the rocks emerged from underground magma intruding into a long, straight fissure in the softer mudstone, which has since eroded away, leaving the enduring igneous formations.\n\nThe natural beauty of Hashigui-iwa has inspired devotion for centuries, as people sensed the sacred presence of such formations and revered them as yorishiro—vessels for the divine. Over time, simple shrines were built: a torii and a miniature shrine on Bentenjima, and an Inari shrine on Motoshima, the closest islet to the shore. The site is also steeped in local folklore, notably a legend involving the Buddhist sage Kūkai and a mischievous demon. Kūkai purportedly built a bridge to Ōshima island in a single night, but the trickster demon tricked him by imitating a rooster's call, causing Kūkai to abandon the work.\n\nThe appearance of Hashigui-iwa varies with the time of day, tide, and weather, making it a breathtaking sight throughout the year. From low tide, visitors can stroll to Bentenjima, the small island nestled within the rock chain. At sunrise, the pillars form a dramatic silhouette against the dawn, while night-time illumination on certain fall evenings adds to the site's mystique. Hashigui-iwa, situated at the southernmost tip of Honshū, remains an awe-inspiring geosite that continues to captivate visitors with its unique coastal landscape.",
  "summary": "Resembling the ruined pillars of a giant bridge, Hashigui-iwa is a dramatic 850-meter line of sea-carved rocks extending into the ocean in Wakayama Prefecture.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}