Yamagata - Akumi - The Sixteen Rakan Rocks

The Sixteen Arkan Rocks, also known as the Juroku Rakan Iwa (十六羅漢岩) are a collection of carved boulders sitting right along the coast, facing in from the Sea of Japan. While they're called the "16" rocks, there are actually 22 figures carved into the stone: the Sixteen Arhats (enlightened disciples of Buddha), along with Shakyamuni (Buddha himself), and five other Buddhist figures. The rocks are a monument to local fishers, and are one of the "100 Fishing Village Heritage Sites" from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.