The is a
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
burial mound located in the Iizuka neighborhood of the city of
Oyama in
Tochigi Prefecture in the northern
Kantō region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...
of
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 ...
. It received protection as a
National Historic Site in 1978.
It is the third largest in the prefecture.
Overview
The Marishitenzuka Kofun is a , which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. It is located on a narrow plateau between the Oshi and Sugata rivers, which run north and south through the northern
Kantō Plain. This area was the central region of ancient
Shimotsuke Province, and contains many ''kofun'' and the ruins of the
provincial capital and
provincial temple (''kokubunji''). The Marishitenzuka Kofun is located 100 meters south of the
Biwazuka Kofun
The is a Kofun period burial mound located in Iizuka neighborhood of the city of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. The tumulus received protection as a National Historic Site in 1926. It is the second largest ...
, which is of almost identical size and orientation to the south-southwest.
A small chapel to
Marishi-ten is located on its summit, giving the tumulus its name. The tumulus was built by partially using a natural hill, and was constructed in two tiers. Fragments of cylindrical ''
haniwa'' have been recovered. The construction date is said to be the end of the 5th century AD based on the shape of the tumulus and the excavated ''haniwa''. The tumulus is surrounded by a moat with a width of 20 meters, which is double in places. The National Historic Site designation was expanded in 2002 to cover the remnants of the moats.
;Overall length: 120 meters
;Posterior circular portion: 70 meter diameter x 10 meter high, 2-tier
;Anterior rectangular portion: 70 meters wide x 6 meters high, 2-tier
Recovered artifacts are on display at the Marishitenzuka-Biwazuka Kofun Museum in Oyama. The site is located approximately 15 minutes by car from
Oyama Station on the
Tōhoku Shinkansen.
Gallery
Marishitenzuka-kofun marishitenson.JPG, Chapel to Marishi-ten on the summit of the tumulus
Biwazuka-kofun and Marishitenzuka-kofun -2.JPG, Biwazuka Kofun and Marishitenzuka Kofun
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Tochigi)
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefecture of Tochigi.
National Historic Sites
As of 1 December 2022, thirty-eight Sites have been designated as being of national significance (including two *Special Historic Si ...
References
External links
Tochigi Tourist Information
{{in lang, ja
Zenpō-kōen-fun
History of Tochigi Prefecture
Oyama, Tochigi
Historic Sites of Japan
Shimotsuke Province