- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 724 · 8th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- Coordinates
- 38.3067°, 140.9883°
History
According to the inscription on its famous stele, the fortress was founded in 724 by Ōno no Azumabito on hills above the Sendai plain. Taga housed the government of Mutsu Province and the headquarters of the troops sent to subjugate the Emishi peoples of northern Honshu. In 762 Fujiwara no Asakari rebuilt it extensively, as the same stele records. Rebels led by Iji no Azamaro burned the fortress in 780, and after it was rebuilt the Jōgan earthquake of 869 damaged it again. In the early 9th century the military command moved further north, but Taga remained an administrative centre until the late Heian period.
What to see
The extensive ruins are a Special Historic Site of Japan. On the central hill, the outline of the government courtyard and the foundations of its halls, uncovered by decades of excavation, are marked out, and traces of earthen walls can be seen around the site. A timber reconstruction of the outer south gate was completed in 2023, and the stretches of earthen wall beside it were rebuilt a year later. Near the gate the 8th-century Taga stele stands in a wooden pavilion; it has been a National Treasure since 2024. Finds are displayed in the nearby Tōhoku History Museum.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q870867
Popularity: articles about this site in 14 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).