One of the most mysterious and unique sites in Japan is the village of Asuka. There are a multitude of carved granite stones that are in peculiar shapes in various parts of this region. The largest and most unusual of these carved stones is the Madifa Masuda-no-iwafune (aka 'Rock Ship of Masuda'). The stone carving, which stands near the top of a hill in Asuka, is 11 metres in length, 8 metres in width and 4.7 metres in height, and weighs approximately 800 tonnes.