Mure
For centuries, the town of Mure and the neighboring town of Aji have been famous for their high-quality granite, which is mined from Mt. Goken. Mure still maintains a strong connection with masonry, sculpture, and art. There are several museums in the area, including the Takamatsu City Stone Museum and venues dedicated to artists and designers such as Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) and George Nakashima (1905–1990). Both men were active in Mure and produced many artworks here during their careers.
Mure played an important role in the Battle of Yashima, waged in 1185 between the warring Minamoto and Taira clans. The Taira had a fortified palace on Yashima and a large fleet of ships to defend it. However, the Minamoto lit a series of fires along the coast to make it appear that a large army was coming, drawing the Taira ships away. Once the ships were gone, the Minamoto launched an overland attack via Mure.
The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Minamoto, and key moments from the conflict are memorialized in Mure. Places with a connection to the battle include the Inori Iwa (Prayer Rock), which marks the spot where Nasu no Yoichi (c.1169–c.1232), a samurai who fought for the Minamoto, is said to have stopped to pray before shooting an arrow at a retreating Taira ship. On the ship was a court lady who was taunting the Minamoto troops by waving a fan she had attached to a pole, so Yoichi aimed for the fan. The arrow improbably hit its target, and Yoichi’s feat of martial skill became legendary. The spot where he is said to have fired from is marked by the Komadate Iwa rock.
Mure was once an independent municipality but is now part of the city of Takamatsu. It is separated from Yashima by the Aibiki River.