Miroku-ishi Stone (a stone dedicated in hokora [a small shrine] near the entrance to Oku no in [inne (弥勒石)
Miroku-ishi Stone is the stone placed in hokora near the entrance to Oku no in of Mt. Koya, the sacred ground of Wakayama Prefecture. It is said that, if one touches this stone, he or she will receive blessings of Miroku Bosatsu (Buddha of the Future, Bodhisattva of the Present). Buns stuffed with azuki-bean paste named after Miroku-ishi Stone are being sold as souvenir.
It is a stone statue in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture. It seems to have been a stone marker under Jorisei (system of land subdivision in ancient Japan) but is now known. The stone statue is a religious object of physically challenged persons such as those visually impaired.