Kōgoishi (神篭石 or 神籠石) are earthenwork structures, on a stone foundation, constructed in Japan during the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...
, particularly in areas around
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
, on the island of
Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
. The name "''kōgoishi''" means "stones of divine protection," a name given them by the
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
archaeologist
Tsuboi Shōgorō Tsuboi (written: , or ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese writer and poet
*, Japanese poet
*, Japanese racing driver
*, Japanese figure skater
*, Japanese baseball player
*, Japanes ...
, who conjectured that they served as spiritual or practical protection for sacred sites.
''Kōgoishi'' date to the 6th or 7th century CE, and are found predominantly in northern Kyūshū and on the shores of the
Inland Sea
An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...
. The longest one to be found, at 2.3 km in length, lies near the summit of
Mount Kōra
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest.
Mount or Mounts may also refer to:
Places
* Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England
* Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...
(
:ja:高良山), near Fukuoka. The stones there are roughly one meter long, 50 cm high and 70 cm thick.
Scholars after Tsuboi determined that the structures are most likely the remains of practical, military fortifications, and were unlikely to have significant spiritual connections. The style and form of the ruins matches many in Korea;
the period when these were built was one of flourishing contact with Korea, and it is theorized that Korean stoneworkers, artisans, and architects may have played a role in the construction of these fortresses.
Many scholars believe that some ''kōgoishi'' were built in anticipation of an attack from Korea,
FUNDAMENTALISM OF JAPAN -KYUSHU DYNASTY PRECEDING KINK EMPEROR- FURUTA Takehiko
An outline for presentation at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan on October 5, 2001, Translated by FUJISAWA Toru which never materialized.
Notes
Further reading
*
References
*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Kōgoishi." ''Japan Encyclopedia''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
''Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System''. Accessed 17 July 2007.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kogoishi
Asuka period
Archaeology of Japan
Castles in Japan