Learn all about the unique Oya stone and its history at Oya History Museum and explore the incredible cavernous underground quarry.

Oya History Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of Oya Stone located not too far from Nikko. If you are driving to Nikko from Tokyo, we recommend stopping by to check out this unique museum and explore its cavernous underground mine.
Where Is Oya History Museum

Oya History Museum is a short 30 min drive from Nikko but could be a bit tricky to get to by public transportation. If you take the Utsunomiya Station route from Tokyo to Nikko, it’s only a 30 min bus ride from Utsunomiya Station to the museum.
What is Oya Stone
Oya stone is a volcanic rock unique to the Oyamachi area near Utsunomiya. It is a light porous rock formed by volcanic ash from an eruption 20 million years ago. Oya stone has been mined in the area since the Edo period in the 1600s. At its peak, there were over 250 quarries in the area. Wagyu steamed in Oya stone box
When we stayed at Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko, the main wagyu main course was steamed in a box made of Oya stone and so was the drink coaster. The most famous use of Oya stone is by Frank Lloyd Wright during the construction of the old Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (it’s now been moved to Museum Meiji-Mura).
Drink coaster made from Oya stone
Oya History Museum
When you get to the museum, you can already see the on the nearby hillside evidence of mining in the past.
Oya stone hill that was mined
The ext...