Location Hakui History and Folklore Museum
Asahiyama Artifact: Buddhist Steles (Hakui City Designated Cultural Property)
- Display status
- On display
- Period
- 1279
- Form/Type
- Archaeological material
- Location
- Hakui City
These are Buddhist steles discovered at Asahiyama in Fukumizu-machi, Hakui City. They were excavated in 1979 (Showa 54) during an excavation survey for the construction of a power transmission line tower.
These Buddhist steles are a kind of stone stupa or memorial pagoda, and along with five elements stupa etc., characterize Buddhist beliefs in the Middle Ages.
The naturally flat surfaces of the stones were made use of to carve Sanskrit characters in their centers. This is called shuji, and a character reading “vam” was carved into it to indicate the physical form of Kongokai Dainichi Nyorai (also known as the Cosmic Buddha) using a single character. The year of manufacture is engraved on the stele, indicating that they were made in 1279, around the time of the Mongol invasions during the Kamakura period. These are the oldest Buddhist steles with a chronological inscription in the Hokuriku region, and are extremely valuable items.
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A local history museum that opened in 1983. They collect materials that convey the history and culture of Hakui City (archaeological materials, historical materials, folk implements, etc.), preserve them, conduct research on them and display them publicly. The folk implements exhibition room on the first floor explains the tools used in Hakui's past way of living. The history exhibition room on the second floor displays valuable excavated items mainly from the Yoshisaki-Suba Site, a Nationally Designated Historic Site, and the Jike Site, as well as historical materials such as ancient documents. They also hold ancient experience classes and events such as magatama (comma-shaped stone bead) making and fire starting experiences. Please feel free to stop by and experience the history of Hakui.
38-1 Tsurutada, Tsurutamachi, Hakui, 925-0027 Google Maps
TEL 0767-22-5998 E-mail post@city.hakui.lg.jp
