Yamanoue Stele, Asuka period stele in Takasaki, Japan.
The Yamanoue Stele is a historic monument from the Asuka period in Takasaki, carved from natural andesite stone. Its surface displays fifty-three characters arranged in four vertical columns that follow the contours of the rock.
The stone was commissioned in 681 by Buddhist monk Nagatoshi-no-hoshi from Hōkō-ji temple as a memorial for his deceased mother Kurome-no-toji. It reflects how early Japan brought together Buddhist practice and the developing written language.
The name comes from its hilltop location, where the carving demonstrates the earliest known use of Chinese characters arranged according to Japanese grammar. Visitors today can see how the four rows of fifty-three characters represent a turning point in how Japanese people began to write.
The site is accessible by train from Yamana station, or visitors can use a free minibus that connects the three stelae in the region. The shuttle operates during daytime hours and allows visitors to explore all three historic stones in one trip.
Only about eighteen ancient stelae of this type have survived in Japan, making this stone a remarkably rare survivor. Right next to it sits a burial mound from the sixth century where the commissioner's mother was laid to rest, connecting two different periods of history side by side.
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