Madama minato himon

The reconstructed stele, now on display at Shuri castle

• Erected: 1522
• Japanese: 真玉湊碑文 (Madama minato himon)

The Madama minato himon ("Madama harbor stele inscription") is a stele erected in 1522 alongside another stele, the Kokuô shôtoku hi, just inside the Shureimon gate of Shuri castle, the main royal palace of the Ryûkyû Kingdom.

The monument commemorates the construction at that time, under King Shô Shin, of the Madama michi - a circle road around the capital - and an associated bridge, Madan bashi, which would allow soldiers from Shuri and a number of areas to the south (i.e. Shimajiri) to come into the city and be able to help defend it in case of attack.

A reconstruction of the two stelae stand just outside the Shureimon today.

References

• Gregory Smits, Maritime Ryukyu, University of Hawaii Press (2019), 140.