Alamo Plaza in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Japanese Monument to The Heroes of the Alamo

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

1. Japanese Monument to The Heroes of the Alamo

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

To the Memory of
The Heroes of the Alamo

[Poem in Chinese follows]

Japanese Monument
The story of the Alamo reaches far beyond the borders of Texas. More than 2.6 million visitors from around the world came to the Alamo in 1996. The DRT provides written information on the site in several different languages, including Spanish, German, French, Japanese, and Italian. This granite monument attests to the Alamo's fame and popularity.

Shigetaka Shiga, a Japanese geography professor, presented the monument to the Alamo in 1914. Etched on its face is a poem he composed that compares the Alamo and its heroes to a famous incident in Japanese history. The Siege of Nagashino Castle, fought in 1575, involved circumstances similar to those that took place at the Alamo in 1836. One of the defenders of Nagashino Castle, Torii Suneemon, left the castle to find help. Captured upon his return, he chose death rather than betray his friends. Professor Shiga compared Torii Suneemon to James Butler Bonham who also left his friends at the Alamo to find help, only to face death when he returned.

Although

To The Memory of The Heroes of The Alamo image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

2. To The Memory of The Heroes of The Alamo

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Japanese, Professor Shiga wrote the poem in classical Chinese. The granite for the monument was quarried near Nagashino, Japan. The stone on which the monument sits came from the vicinity of Torii Suneemon's grave.

Copies of the poem are available in Alamo Shrine upon request.

Erected 1914 by Professor Shigetaka Juko Shiga.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Forts and Castles • War, Texas Independence. A significant historical year for this entry is 1996.

Location. 29° 25.566′ N, 98° 29.166′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Alamo Plaza. Monument is in the Convento Courtyard of the Alamo Mission complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Republic to Early Statehood (here, next to this marker); The Birth of the Republic of Texas (a few steps from this marker); From Warehouse to Shrine (a few steps from this marker); The Struggle for Independence (a few steps from this marker); The Decline of Spanish Rule (a few steps from this marker); Juan Nepomuceno Seguín (a few steps from this marker); The Mission Period

Background on Japanese Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

3. Background on Japanese Monument

(a few steps from this marker); William Barret Travis (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.

Also see . . . Shigetaka Shiga. (Submitted on May 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

4. Japanese Monument to The Heroes of the Alamo

Looking NNW.

Sponsor of the Japanese Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

5. Sponsor of the Japanese Monument

Japanese Monument Stone image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 29, 2010

6. Japanese Monument Stone

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 5,441 times since then and 191 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.