Nakayama
The origin of Nakayam quarry is about 800 years ago.

Situated on the east side of Mt. Atago, Nakayama is one of the Higashi-mono (Eastern stones). Nakayama stones were patronized by the Imperial household, for its superior quality used for polishing swords. These stones have never been traded among the commonality between Kamakura period(1185~1333) to mid Muromachi period (1336~1573). It was at the end of Muromachi when these stones appered within the general market, although the better stones were still monopolised by the royalities, the stones with lines and odd shapes were used by the craftsmen and carpenters, and this contributed to the drastic improvement in quality of their works.

If you are familiar with Japanese natural finishing stones, I suppose you have heard of the name Hon-yama. The name Hon-yama is used by any finishing stones nowadays so it mearly means "finishing stone" now, but this name originally was the nick name for Shoubu-dani mountain. Nakayama is one of the quarry from this mountian. Honma Tou-zaemon Toki-nari has been appointed as the leader of mining by the famous Shogun of Kamakura period Minamotono Yoritomo in 1190. Thus the mountain was called Honma's mountain = Hon-yama. "Yama" means mountain. Nakayama stone is the genuine Hon-yama stone.

Yellow stones called Ki-ita, and blue stones called Asagi, is the two most worshiped Nakayama stones. Asagi stones tend to be very scratchy but the ones that doesn't scratch has incredible cutting strength.

Nakayama stones are the most famous and sought after stones among all Japanese natural finishing stones.