Takasago, Japan, the Oshiko Shrine. This is Ishi-no-Hoden, a stone block about 6–7 meters across, estimated at over 500 tons. It "floats" above a pool of water, because underneath only a narrow neck connects it to the bedrock. The official version says it's an unfinished carving from the Kofun period, about 1,500 years ago. They cut it out of the surrounding rock and then just forgot to haul it away. Happens. So let's see what they actually did. They carved all around the block, nice straight sides. Then they reached underneath and started chiseling the stone out from below too, until it was standing on just a thin neck. 500 tons on a neck. Who was the brave stonecutter who crawled under it to keep chiseling? And what was the plan if the neck snapped? Because if you want to move a block that size, you don't start by thinning it from below. You wedge it off from the side. Every quarryman knows that. But you don't have to take my word for it. What do you think this is? A. An unfinished carving, the master went to lunch and never came back B. They undercut it on purpose so it would float, because it looks nice C. They cast one big block, no undercutting. But that pesky water at the bottom started washing the material out all around, and it was a race against time: would it set first, or would the water wash it out first? Setting won, but by then the water had cut in deep. D. ?