Building-stone had many uses through prehistoric and historic Japan but not for constructing buildings. Under the influence of British ideas about the role of stone and brick in creating buildings appropriate to a monarchical world power, native stone resources such as tuff began to be exploited architecturally in the late 19th century.

Prehistoric Stone Structures in Japan
The Jomon stone circles of northern Japan, dating to the 2nd millennium BC, qualify as the earliest features constructed of stone. Archaeologists first interpreted these features as sundials, based on their structure of concentric circles comprised of river cobbles, in the dead center of which was often a standing stone.

Later excavation revealed the stone circles to be Jomon cemeteries, groups of cobbles marking individual graves in the circles. In the far south, later Jomon burials were often cist structures whose walls were made of flat stones stood upright to make a stone box coffin.