ABSTRACT
The castle made its first appearance in Japanese history, according to the Nihon-shoki, when the Emperor Jimmu, the first of the Imperial line, built what may be literally translated a “castle-rice-field” on the camp during his expedition against Yasotakeru, a local chief. The materials used in the building of the Diet are brought from different parts of the country; granite and marble from Hiroshima, Kyushu and Okayama Prefectures, and lumbers of keyaki and hinoki from many different provinces. The Japanese expression “Saihai wo furu” means “to take the lead” or “to assume the hegemony”. The Gumbai-uchiwa is made of iron leather with a lacquered handle of the nurude like the Saihai. The Matoi was of various shapes and sizes, but the commonest one consisted of a flag or ensign of the leader. The ceremony of unveiling the monument took place on July 14, 1901, or the 47th anniversary of the landing at Kurihama of Commdore Perry in 1853.
