KYOTO, JAPAN—According to a report in The Asahi Shimbun, eight massive stones, including one that weighs nearly ten tons, have been unearthed in the garden at Muromachi-dono, the so-called Flower Palace built by the Ashikaga Shogunate in A.D. 1381. Clustered at the site of a pond measuring about 150 feet by 200 feet, the stones may have been intended as a show of great power by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who ruled from 1449 to 1473, since they are much larger than stones found in the gardens of other ruling elites. “Ashikaga Yoshimasa until now hadn’t been held in particularly high regard for his political skills because he triggered the Onin War (1467–1477), which was followed by the Warring States period,” said Hisao Suzuki of Kyoto Sangyo University. “This discovery shows that he excelled at fostering culture and engineering technology.” To read about the discovery of the oldest known sake brewery in Japan, go to "At Press Time."
