Sesshō-seki

Sesshō-seki is a volcanic rock at Mount Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture that continuously releases toxic gases and keeps the surrounding landscape bare and lifeless. The stone sits in a steaming area where sulfur dioxide rises from cracks in the ground and creates a gray, inhospitable setting.

The legend spread during the Heian period when an imperial warrior defeated a fox spirit that supposedly turned into this deadly stone. Buddhist monks later tried to break the curse by shattering the surface into smaller pieces.

The rock's name comes from an old Japanese legend about a nine-tailed fox that turned into a stone and killed anyone who came near it. Visitors today can see local worshippers lighting incense and leaving small offerings at the edge of the restricted zone.

The area lies near Nasu-yumoto hot springs, where warning signs mark the safe distance from the gas. Visitors should be especially careful when wind comes from the main direction and not stay close for long.

In March 2022 the rock broke naturally into two parts, which many Japanese interpreted as the end of the old curse. Shinto priests then performed ceremonies to calm the released energy and restore spiritual balance.