The is a group of

Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』� ...

to early

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

located between the Manotaniguchi neighborhood of the city of Ōtsu, Shiga in the

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolita ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. A portion of this tumuli cluster was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1974.

Overview

The Kasugayama Kofun Cluster is located on a ridge with an elevation of 160 meters, overlooking

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th ol ...

and the Katata Plain near Mount Kasuga, approximately one kilometer west of the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

Katata Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Katata Station is served by the Kosei Line, and is from the starting point of the line at and f ...

. The Mano District, where these tumuli are located, was controlled during the Kofun period by the Wani clan, a powerful clan based in what is now

Tenri, Nara is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The modern city was founded on April 1, 1954, and is named after the Japanese new religion Tenrikyo, which has its headquarters in the city. As of April 1, 2015, the city has an estimated population o ...

, and it be believed that these tombs are those of various members of that clan. The site was investigated by the Shiga Prefectural Board of Education in 1968, at which time a total of 171 tumuli were recorded, and which were divided into Group A through Group E. Subsequent surveys, including a major effort in 1994, discovered more tumuli, and the total is now more than 220. Two of the 32 tumuli in Group E were keyhole-shaped , having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above, which are believed to have been built in the latter half of the 4th century AD to the beginning of the 5th century.. All of the other tumuli are () and were built between the middle of the 6th century and the first half of the 7th century AD. Only the two keyhole-shaped tumuli are covered by the National Historic Site designation. These tumuli are designed "Mound No. 1" and "Mound No. 12". Neither has been excavated, so the details of their

burial chamber A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interred than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could a ...

s and

grave goods Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body. They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods may be classed as a ...

is unknown. It is assumed that Mound No. 12 was built first because it is located at the highest part of the ridge. The area is now preserved as a park. Mound No.1 ;Overall length: 65 meters ;Posterior circular portion: 32 meter diameter ;Anterior rectangular portion: 20 meters wide Mound No.12 ;Overall length: 54 meters ;Posterior circular portion: 27 meter diameter ;Anterior rectangular portion: 15 meters wide

References

External links

Kasugayama Park home page

{{in lang, ja History of Shiga Prefecture Ōtsu Historic Sites of Japan Zenpokoenfun Kofun clusters

Overview

See also

References

External links