Washinoki Stone Circle

The largest known stone circle in Hokkaido, Washinoki dates to around 2000 BCE and sits on a hill in the town of Mori, southern Hokkaido. Its 602 stones form two outer rings around a central oval arrangement. Archaeologists see strong cultural links between this site and stone circles in Aomori and Akita from the same period. Discovered in 2003 during highway construction planning, the site was preserved by community campaigning, and the highway was rerouted into a tunnel beneath it. Visits are possible only through guided tours organized by the Mori Town Office for Archaeological Excavation and Research.