Kofun (古墳, from Sino-Japanese "ancient burial mound") are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. Kofun were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between … See more

Yayoi period
Most of the tombs of chiefs in the Yayoi period were square-shaped mounds surrounded by ditches. The most notable example in the late … See more

• Oyamato, Yanagimoto and Makimuku Kofun Group, Nara Prefecture, 3rd century
• Saki Tatanami Kofun Group and the Heijō-kyō site, Nara Prefecture, 4th century See more

1. ^ 岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』大和書房、2006年。ISBN 978-4479840657
2. ^ "Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters". UNESCO. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
3. ^ See more

The kofun tumuli have assumed various shapes throughout history. The most common type of kofun is known as a zenpō-kōen-fun (前方後円墳), which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. There … See more

Keyhole Kofun
Keyhole Kofun, or Zenpokoenfun, are a notable type of Japanese ancient tomb consisting of a square front part (前方部) and a circular back part (後円部). The part connecting the two is called the middle part (くびれ部), … See more

• Ancient Japan portal
• William Gowland, a British engineer who made the first survey for Saki kofun group
• Ernest Satow, a British diplomat who wrote about kofun in Kozuke for the Asiatic Society of Japan See more