Tagajō Stele, 8th century stone monument in Tagajo, Japan
The Tagajō Stele is an 8th-century stone monument made of arkose, housed in a protective pavilion beside the ruins of Taga Castle. It bears an inscription of 141 characters arranged in eleven lines in classical style.
The stone was erected in 762, about 38 years after Taga Castle was founded in 724. It documents distances from various locations to the imperial capital and shows the growing control of the realm over distant regions.
The inscription shows how administration worked in this region and what connection existed to the distant capital. People could understand from the stone where their place stood in the realm and how important this information was to officials.
The stone sits in a sturdy pavilion and is easily reached, about a ten-minute walk from JR Kokufu-Tagajo Station. The shelter protects the monument from the elements, so you can visit comfortably in most weather.
The stone is one of only three major stelae from this period still surviving today. The character "West" carved at its center was a direct marker of how this frontier was oriented and subordinated to the distant capital.
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