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Secondary sourceSculpture1654

Kokura Hibun

Miyamoto Iori · 1654

A stone memorial stele erected by Musashi's adopted son in 1654, the earliest biographical source on Musashi's life and the Ganryū-jima duel.

Erected by Musashi's adopted son, this is the earliest biographical record of Musashi's life and his famous duel.

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A tall, narrow, weathered stone monument with an inscribed upper panel of large characters and dense vertical text covering its face, set on a stone base among green trees and shrubs in a wooded park.
Kokura Hibun stele, erected 1654.

About this source

What it is

This tall stone stele was put up in 1654 by Miyamoto Iori, the adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi. It carries a long inscription recording details of Musashi's life, including the famous duel on Ganryū-jima island.

Why it matters

The stele is the oldest surviving biographical account of Musashi, written only a few years after his death by someone who knew him personally. Because so much of Musashi's later legend grew from stories and fiction, this early inscription is especially valuable to historians trying to separate fact from legend.

Look closer

  • Why might a family member choose to carve a biography in stone rather than on paper?
  • What kinds of events would a memorial inscription be likely to include or leave out?
  • How might an account written by a relative differ from one written by a stranger?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Musashi Miyamoto on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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