Japan, Nagano
Nagano
Wada Pass obsidian (Higashi-mochiya roadside)
Mineral locality Documented siteRestricted
What you could find
Reported finds from this ground.
Crystals and minerals
Flint and stone toolsAlso reported: obsidian chips.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Stephanie Clifford from Arlington, VA, USA (CC BY 2.0), James St. John (CC BY 2.0).
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Why this spot
Rockhounding locality: Paleolithic Japan's premier obsidian source; today only loose roadside chips are picked, and only ambiguously
Blogs document small obsidian chips along the old pass road; digging is signed as prohibited
Before you go
Hazards noted for this site.
Blind curves on the old Route 142Razor-sharp glass shards, high-altitude weather
Keep exploring nearby
More spots in this area.