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Ogi (meteorite)

Chondrite meteoritesMeteorite falls

The Ogi meteorite fell in 1741 near the present day city of Ogi in the central part of Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, in Japan. Four stones with masses of roughly 5.6 kg, 4.6 kg, 2 kg, and 2 kg were recovered after the observed fall. The stoney meteorite is classified as an ordinary chondrite of the H6-group. With a total recovered mass of 14.36 kg it is among the seven heaviest meteorites ever found in Japan. It is the fourth oldest meteorite with an observed fall in Japan and together with the meteorites of Nōgata, Minamino and Sasagase it is among the 10 oldest meteorite falls in the world where specimens are still preserved. The reason meteorites that fell in Japan before the 18th century were often preserved is connected to the population's faith and the fact that they were kept in custody at shrines and temples as revered sacred objects. The fall of the meteorite is documented in local sources from the Edo period. While both of the smaller stones were lost, the two larger stones remained in the hands of the ruling Nabeshima family for generations as temple objects and family heirloom. The 4.6 kg stone was given to the British Museum of Natural History in the 19th century. The 5.6 kg main mass was believed lost since World War II until it resurfaced in 2025.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Ogi (meteorite) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Ogi (meteorite)
Fukuoka Sawara Ward

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N 33.5 ° E 130.33333333333 °
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811-1102 Fukuoka, Sawara Ward
Japan
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Shōkaku-ji (Fukuoka)
Shōkaku-ji (Fukuoka)

Shōkaku-ji (正覚寺) is a Rinzai temple in Jōnan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Its honorary sangō prefix is Higashiaburayama (東油山). It is also known as Aburayama Kannon (油山観音). Shōkaku-ji was founded during the Nara period by Seiga, a priest who came from India. He established a Buddhist hermitage and discovered white camellias on the mountain. He harvested them and created a pair of Bodhisattva Kannon statues, enshrining one in this temple. It is believed that the first process of extracting kerosene in Japan was by squeezing oil from camellia seeds. Both the name of Mount Abura and the temple have origins related to this process. Originally, it was named Senpuku-ji (泉福寺). In 1193, Bencho, a priest of the Chinzei branch of Jōdo-shū Buddhism, entered the temple and taught his disciples there. Along with the Tenpuku-ji Temple on the mountain's west side, Shōkaku-ji became a flourishing center for monks, with up to 360 priest living quarters surrounding the temple. However, during the Tenshō era, the temple was destroyed by a fire resulting from war. It was later rebuilt during the Genroku era, with the construction of various buildings such as the kannon-dō hall, the reception hall, a bell tower, living quarters, and others. In 1694, the temple was renamed Shōkaku-ji. The wooden Avalokiteśvara statue, enshrined in the main hall, has been an object of significant religious reverence. It was designated a Cultural Property of Japan by the government in 1906. On October 4, 2009, a theft of the Buddha statue occurred. The thief entered the temple and stole the statue from the main hall. However, the statue was recovered in December of the same year. Shoe marks left behind indicated that multiple criminals were involved, and it is believed they broke into the main hall by cutting the padlock.The Hibari Kannon-dō hall, built in 1994, was dedicated to Hibari Misora, a Japanese singer who passed away on June 24, 1989. The Aburayama porridge opening ceremony is held every year on February 1. Based on the state of the red bean porridge left in the main hall for 15 days from the Lunar New Year, this event predicts the weather and crop conditions for the upcoming year.