11 characters which seem to have been the opening line of waka poetry, 'ha ru ku sa no ha ji me no to shi' (皮留久佐乃皮斯米之刀斯, literally, the first year of spring plants) were written on it.
「皮留久佐乃皮斯米之刀斯（はるくさのはじめのとし）」と和歌の冒頭と見られる11文字が記されている。