Thursday, August 19, 2004

History in Industrial Mess



I was lost riding my bike today through the industrial mess that surrounds the Nissan Research facilities and manufacturing plants just south west of where I live, when I noticed a large granite slab nestled between a factory and a small tree covered hill. This granite slab contained contained the words, "Site of Origional Drafting of the Meji Constitution In the Year Meiji 20 - AD 1887".

This is a interesting thing to find here, since it's in a place that now really has nothing, I wouldn't expect that there was much there in 1887 either. It is possible that whatever was here was blown up during the Pacific War, since this area was also a major center for shipbuilding and airplane manufacturing. The reverse gives a strong indication that this was the case. It lists the sponsors of the monument, and the a re-construction date of 1951.