Guhō-ji is an old temple in Ichikawa City, Chiba, originally founded in 737 AD though the complex has been rebuilt numerous times, most recently in 1972. Its main approach is a steep stone-step path, consisting of over a thousand blocks, one of which bears a curious story.
On the 27th step (counting up), one block stands out, moist and mossy, worn and uneven while all the other steps are crisp-cornered. This particular block is known as Namida-ishi, which means “tear-stone.”
According to the legend, master carpenter Suzuki Nagayori was transporting stone material from Izu to Nikkō, where a grand shrine of the Tokugawa shogun was being built, when his ship got stuck in Ichikawa. Unable to move on, he used the stone for Guhō-ji instead.
When the government found out, Suzuki committed seppuku on the temple steps as a form of apology. It is said that his blood and tears are soaked into the one block, forever cursing it.
Sceptics, on the other hand, claim that there must be a small spring behind the step, its water seeping into the stone. This theory is yet to be confirmed, however, and the truth remains a mystery.
