The is a ''
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』 ...
''
burial mound located in what is now part of the town of
Wakasa, Fukui in the
Hokuriku region
The was located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lay along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, which it is currently a part of. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern ...
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 ...
. The site was designated a
National Historic Site of Japan in 1935.
Overview
The Nakatsuka Kofun is one of a group of seven ''kofun'' located in the Wakibukuro neighborhood of central Wakasa, forming the Jōnozuka Kofun Cluster. It is west of the tracks of the
JR West Obama Line railway and near a hill called (Zenbuyama, 膳部山). The tumulus is a , which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. The Nakatsuka Kofun is in relatively poor preservation, as much has been destroyed over the centuries by agricultural activity and as a source of soil. The tumulus has a two-tier structure with ''
fukiishi'', orientated north-south, with the posterior circular portion on the northern end. The total length is 72 meters and the circular portion has a diameter of 46 meters and height of six meters, and the anterior rectangular portion has a width of 26 meters. Some fragments of cylindrical ''
haniwa'' have been found in the vicinity; however, the structure of the tumulus has never been properly
archaeological excavation
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
excavated by archaeologists and the inner structure is unknown; however, a
ground-penetrating radar survey in 2008 indicated the presence of a
passage grave burial chamber similar to that of the
Jōnozuka Kofun
The is a ''kofun'' burial mound located in the Wakibukuro neighborhood of the town of Wakasa, Fukui in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1935. It is the largest keyhole-shaped tumulus i ...
. Traces of a shield-shaped moat have also been found.
The tumulus dates from the late 5th century to early 6th century AD. The name of the person interred is unknown; however from the name of the nearby hill (Zenbuyama, 膳部山), it mostly likely corresponds to the grave of a head of the Kashiwade clan (膳氏), who are recorded in the ''
Kojiki
The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'' and ''
Nihon Shoki'' as having served as ''
Kuni no miyatsuko'' of
Wakasa Province since the time of the legendary
Emperor Kōgen.
The tumulus is about 30 minutes on foot from
Kaminaka Station
is a railway station on the Obama Line in the town of Wakasa, Mikatakaminaka District, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
Lines
Kaminaka Station is served by the Obama Line, and is located 38.8 km ...
on the
JR West Obama Line.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukui)
References
External links
Obama city home page{{in lang, ja
Zenpokoenfun
History of Fukui Prefecture
Wakasa, Fukui
Historic Sites of Japan
Wakasa Province