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HeritageofIndustrialcModernizationdab石Ishi(Stone)¯OyaHistoryMuseum(UtsunomiyaCity,TochigiPrefecture)aNotyouraveragemuseum,¯Oyaisfamousfordeep-caveexplorationsthroughthe¯Oyastonemineandforuniqueundergroundeventsandperformances.121.¯OyaUnderground(UtsunomiyaCity,TochigiPrefecture)aPutonyourgear,attachyourropes,andtaketheultimateadventurecruiseona2,000-square-meterundergroundlakeinsoftlights.Thisspecialtourisonly¯availablehere!2.OyajiTemple(UtsunomiyaCity,TochigiPrefecture)aThisancienttemplefeatureswell-preservedstatuescarvingsofKannoncarved1,200yearsago,theBuddhistdeityofcompassion.Situateddi-rectlyunderthecliffs,theartworkiscarveddirectlyintothestonesbehindthetemple.3.HeiwaKannon(UtsunomiyaCity,TochigiPrefecture)aCarvedfromthe¯Oyastonecliffsthemselves,this27-meter-tallBuddhistgoddesswatchesovertheentireregion,promisingpeaceandprosperity.3Explorethe¯OyaStoneMiningSiteAlthoughJapanwasrelativelyslowtomodernizethroughoutmuchofitshistorybecauseofisolationism,intheMeijiera,thecountrybegantoindustrialize.Today,heritagesitesscatteredthroughoutJapanarepre-servedtomemorializethisexcitingperiodofchange.Visitorscantraveltolocationswheresilkproduction,andminingoperationsbeganthetransformationofJapan’sworkforceandwealthdistribution.InTochigiPrefectureliesthecavernous¯Oyaminingsite,where¯Oyastonewasminedasareplacementforwoodinconstructingwallsandgates.Themineandmuseumprovidedetailsonthe¯Oyaareaanditsstone--saidto32beeasytoworkwithandtoprovidegreatstability.Toursbeginoutsidethemine,wherevisi-torsaregreetedby30-meter-highstonewallsandthelooming¯OyaHeiwaKannon(thePeacefulGoddessofMercy)statuecarvedfromawallof¯Oyastone.Enteringthecave,visitorsareeventuallytakentodepthsofmorethan30meters.Whilethecaveisilluminatedbylanterns,thesheersizeoftheinteriorthreatenstoengulfallindarkness.The¯OyaminewasonceusedasasecretmanufacturingsiteinWorldWarII,andisidealforthestorageofwineandsakebecauseofitscoldtemperatures.Today,thecavernisusedtoholdweddingreceptions,concerts,andeventslikelasershows,whichlightupthewallsandundergroundwaterinvibrantcolors.