Monument Inscribed with the Date "Bunmei 10" (Local History Museum)

In Kiyose City, where written records from the Middle Ages are scarce, stone tablets serve as important historical sources for this period. These tablets are considered a type of memorial monument created from the Kamakura period through the Azuchi-Momoyama period (13th to 16th centuries) and were erected throughout the country to pray for the repose of the dead and their peace in the afterlife.In particular, in Tokyo and Saitama Prefectures, numerous flat stelae made from green mud schist quarried in Nagatoro, Saitama Prefecture, have been discovered. The majority of the flat stelae found in Kiyose City were excavated from the Shimosuku Uchiyama archaeological site. Furthermore, those bearing specific era names are concentrated around the year 1350.

This stone tablet bears an inscription dating to the 10th year of the Bunmei era (1478) and is associated with the “Tsukimachi” faith. Tsukimachi is a custom in which people gather on a specific day to eat, drink, and spend the night together. At the center of this Tsukimachi stone tablet is a triad of Amida Buddha figures depicted in Sanskrit characters on a lotus throne.In addition to the year of its erection, the stele is inscribed with the purpose of its creation—“Hō Tsukimachi Kuyō Gyakushū” (a memorial service for the living)—and the names of 13 donors, making it a valuable historical document that conveys the faith of the people who lived in this area.
It is currently on display in the permanent exhibition hall.