Three Cherished Stelae of Ancient Kozuke

Three Cherished Stelae of Ancient Kozuke are the series of stela, consisting of Yamanoue Stela (681 C.E.), Tago Stela (ca.711) and Kanaizawa Stela (726), in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, which were erected far from the center of seventh and eighth century Japan. These stelae are one of the world’s oldest representations of Chinese character written in Japanese grammar, and are the invaluable memorial sites of ensuing interaction among Asian culture, illustrating that the Chinese-style political system and the Buddhism were introduced into the marginal area of Japan already at that time. Such exchange was penetrating the East Asian history.