Red Bosa Stone (Kanagawa Prefecture) [Famous Stones of Japan]

Akabosa Stone

Red Bosa Stone

Akabosa stone is a type of andesite that is mined in Manazuru Town, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Although it is soft, it is a stone that is resistant to weathering and is durable and fire-resistant.It is a stone whose surface has turned reddish-brown from the bluish-gray Komatsu stone.
It is said that the redness occurs due to the oxidation of the iron contained in the tea.
It changes in various ways depending on the person holding it and the environment, and its texture improves.
It has a history of being highly valued as a stone material by the Imperial family, the Tokugawa family, and Minamoto no Yoritomo.
This stone was formed when the Hakone volcano erupted about 400,000 years ago and the lava that flowed into the sea cooled rapidly.
Therefore, achieving the characteristic greenish-gray color requires not only many years of experience but also high skill.
It is also considered to be a difficult stone to handle because it is more viscous than other stones.

Akabosa stone is a type of andesite that is mined in Manazuru Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. Although it is soft, it is resistant to weathering and durable. It is a bluish-gray Komatsu stone with a reddish-brown surface. It is said that the red color is caused by the oxidation of the iron it contains. It changes in various ways depending on the owner and the environment, increases its texture. It has a history of being treasured as a stone material by the Imperial family, the Tokugawa family, and Minamoto no Yoritomo. The Hakone volcano erupted about 400,000 years ago, and the lava that flowed into the sea was rapidly cooled and become Akabosa Stone. Therefore, it requires not only many years of experience but also high skill to produce its characteristic greenish-gray color. It is also considered to be more difficult to handle with other stone because it is more viscous than others.