The in
Hashimoto, Wakayama,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
is a
National Treasure of Japan. It is a
bronze mirror cast with 48 Chinese characters around the fifth century. It is an important artifact for the research in Japanese archaeology and
Old Japanese language. It was found at
Suda Hachiman Shrine, and its earliest mention in text is in the 3rd volume of the Kii no kuni meisho zue (紀伊国名所図会; "Illustrated Guide to Places of Note in Kii Province") published in 1838.
Inscriptions
The mirror says
There are a few unclear points, but a tentative translation is "In the eighth month of a ''gui-wei'' year, in the reign of the great king, when the prince Wooto was at the
Osisaka Palace, Sima, wishing for longevity, sent two persons to make this mirror from 200 han of brand-new and fine bronze." The year gui-wei likely corresponds to 443 or 503.
According to one prevailing opinion, the prince Wooto can be identified as the prince Oohodo, a grandson of
Emperor Ōjin and a brother of Oshisaka-no-Oonakatsuhime (
Emperor Ingyō's consort). Another theory holds that Wooto is Ōdo-no-Ookimi (
Emperor Keitai). He may be a great-grandson (or a younger brother) of the prince Oohodo. If the gui-wei year corresponds to 503, Shima is presumed
King Muryeong of Baekje, whose name is recorded on
his tomb as : pronounced ''Sama'' in Korean, and ''Shima'' in Japanese.
On the basis of this ancient inscription, Korean scholar Kim Woon-Hoe theorizes a fraternal relationship between
Emperor Keitai of Japan and
King Muryeong of Baekje.
[야마토 왕조의 중시조, 게이타이천황은 무령왕의 아우]
''Pressian'' (Seoul). December 5, 2008. A mirror was excavated from the
tomb of King Muryeong. It is similar to the mirrors of
Emperor Nintoku and
Emperor Keitai. In the ancient
Buyeo kingdom, the bronze mirror represented the king.
Earliest record

The earliest record of this mirror is from the 3rd volume of the Kii no kuni meisho zue published in 1838. According to this text, the mirror had been passed down and treasured at the Suda Hachiman shrine. The monks of the shrine told the traditional account of this mirror's history. This account states that this mirror was presented to
Empress Jingū, after her conquest of the
Samhan confederacies of Korea by "the people of that land". Although there is doubt that
her invasion of Korea was a historical event. The text mentions other theories for the historical origin of the mirror, and it makes an attempt to date the artifact by analysing the script used for the inscription. The text also contains an ink painting of the mirror.
See also
*
Seven-Branched Sword
Notes
References
*
National Treasures of Japan
Old Japanese texts
Bronze mirrors
{{Japan-art-stub