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 the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD. [1] The term is the origin of the name of the Kofun period, which indicates the middle 3rd century to early–middle 6th century. Many kofun have distinctive keyhole-shaped mounds (zempō-kōen fun (前方後円墳)). The Mozu - Furuichi kofungun or tumulus clusters were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019, while Ishibutai Kofun is one of a number in Asuka-Fujiwara residing on the Tentative List. [2][3] 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 are also circular-type (empun [ja] (円墳)), "two conjoined rectangles" typed (zenpō-kōhō-fun [ja] (前方後方墳)), and square-type (hōfun [ja] (方墳)) kofun. Orientation of kofun is not specified. For example, in the Mozu kofun group, in Sakai, several of the circular parts are facing north, while other face east. However, there is no such formation in the Yanagimoto kofun group. 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). [9] The part connecting the two is called the middle part (くびれ部), which looks like a keyhole when viewed from above. [10] Round Kofun [ja] (円墳, enpun) are a kind of kofun that possesses only a round mound and lacks the square segment. [11] Square kofun (方墳, hōfun) are a kind of kofun that possesses only a square mound and lacks the round segment. They are typically relatively smaller than the other shapes of mounded tombs. [11] Scallop Kofun [ja] is a kind of kofun defined by a circular body with a small part extending. This can make it an interrmediate between a Keyhole-shaped kofun and a circular-type kofun [ja]. [11] Famous examples include Hokenoyama Kofun in the Makimuku ruins, [12][13]: 249 dated to around 250 AD, [13]: 253 and Nyotaizan Kofun. Octagonal Kofun [ja] (八角墳, hakkaku-fun) are a very rare kind of kofun characteristic of Emperors. Many Japanese Emperors were buried in them including Empress Kōgyoku in Kengoshizuka Kofun, [14][15] Emperor Tenji in his Mausoleum, [16] and Emperor Jomei in Dannozuka Kofun [17][18] From the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th, the tumuli of the monarchs changed from square hōfun tumuli [ja] to octagonal hakkaku-fun [ja] tumuli.

The Kofun period (古墳時代, Kofun jidai) 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 the earliest era of recorded history in Japan, but studies depend heavily on archaeology since the chronology of historical sources tends to be distorted. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mound dating from this era. It was a period of cultural import. Continuing from the Yayoi period, the Kofun period is characterized by influence from China and the Korean Peninsula; archaeologists consider it a shared culture across the southern Korean Peninsula, Kyūshū and Honshū. [1] On the other hand, the most prosperous keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Japan during this period were approximately 5,000 in Japan from the middle of the 3rd century in the Yayoi period to the 7th century in the Asuka period, and many of them had huge tombs, [2][3] but in the southern Korean Peninsula there were only 13 from the 5th century to the 6th century, and the tombs were small. Wall decorations and Japanese-style armor, which are characteristic of older Japanese burial mounds, were excavated from 5th century burial mounds in the southern Korean Peninsula. This shows that Japan and the southern Korean Peninsula influenced each other. [4][5] According to the Nihon Shoki, Buddhism and the Chinese writing system were introduced near the end of the period from Baekje. The Kofun period recorded Japan's earliest political centralization, when the Yamato clan rose to power in southwestern Japan, established the Imperial House, and helped control trade routes across the region. [6] Kofun (from Middle Chinese kú 古 "ancient" + bjun 墳 "burial mound") [7][8] are burial mounds built for members of the ruling class from the 3rd to the 7th centuries in Japan, [9] and the Kofun period takes its name from the distinctive earthen mounds. The mounds contained large stone burial chambers, and some are surrounded by moats. Kofun have four basic shapes: round and square are the most common, followed by 'scallop-shell' and 'keyhole.' The keyhole tomb is a distinct style found only in Japan, with a square front and round back. Kofun range in size from several meters to over 400 meters long, and unglazed pottery figures (Haniwa) were often buried under a kofun's circumference. The oldest Japanese kofun is reportedly Hokenoyama Kofun in Sakurai, Nara, which dates to the late 3rd century. In the Makimuku district of Sakurai, later keyhole kofuns (Hashihaka Kofun, Shibuya Mukaiyama Kofun) were built during the early 4th century. The keyhole kofun spread from Yamato to Kawachi —with giant kofun, such as Daisenryō Kofun—and then throughout the country during the 5th century. Keyhole kofun disappeared later in the 6th century, probably because of the drastic reformation of the Yamato court; Nihon Shoki records the introduction of Buddhism at this time. The last two great kofun are the 190-metre-long (620 ft) Imashirozuka kofun in Osaka (currently believed by scholars to be the tomb of Emperor Keitai) and the 135-metre long (443 ft) Iwatoyama kofun in Fukuoka, recorded in Fudoki of Chikugo as the tomb of Iwai (political archrival of Emperor Keitai).

Kofun (old tumuli) are large artificial mound tombs built in ancient Japan for the ruling elite between the 3rd and 7th century CE. Many measure several hundred metres across, are surrounded by a moat, and, besides containing valuable bronze and iron goods, they were protected by terracotta figurines called haniwa. The goods within the tombs illustrate the increasing prosperity of ancient Japan as the rulers of Yamato traded both materials and ideas with neighbouring states. The mounds have given their name to the Kofun Period of Japanese history which covers c. 250 to 538 CE. Kofun tombs are spread over the Kinai region of Japan which includes the important sites of Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka. The idea of large burial mounds probably spread from contemporary China and Korea where they were also built for burying elite members of society. The earliest mounds were built in the southern plain of Nara, then they appear on the western slopes of the hills above Nara, and finally, they are concentrated on the eastern shores facing the Inland Sea (Sea of Japan). The practice of building kofun eventually spread throughout Japan so that the islands boast some 20,000 burial mounds known today. Many early kofun were constructed to include natural mounds which were then developed to increase their size. From the 5th century CE, it was more common for kofun to be constructed on flat ground. The earlier examples, from c. 250 CE, are circular but later kofun follow a pattern and have a keyhole form design. Inside the earth mound is a stone-lined chamber in which was placed the body of the deceased. Many tombs are surrounded by a moat or shallow canal. Follow us on YouTube! One giant kofun is that of Emperor Ojin (r. 270-310 CE) which is 415 metres long & stands 35 metres tall. The smallest kofun are around 15 metres in diameter, many of the 140 in the Kibi area are over 27 metres high and 335 metres long, while the largest of all kofun can cover over 80 acres. Kofun (old tumuli) are large artificial mound tombs built in ancient Japan for the ruling elite between the 3rd and 7th century CE. Many measure several hundred...

Kofun are one of the best things about living in Japan―especially when you live in Kansai and you’re surrounded by them. Southern Nara and Eastern Ōsaka in particular are riddled with kofun to the point you feel like Indiana Jones just walking down the street. Some have been turned into parks, some museums and others have been reconstructed to appear the way archaeologists believed them to have looked when they were originally constructed. With over 160,000 kofun scattered around the country in addition to the thousands more that have yet to be discovered, it’s impossible to visit them all. Personally, I’ve visited around 30 kofun believed to belong to important figures from Japanese history, including the tombs of the first ten emperors. Every morning when I open my curtains, I’m greeted with the view of a 650ft long kofun, which I take a stroll around every day. But what are kofun and why are they so many of them? The amount of information known about them is enough to fill dozens of books, but I’m going to keep it very basic and hopefully teach you enough to encourage you to explore some of the more famous kofun should you ever decide to come to Japan. The word ‘kofun’ consists of the Chinese characters 古 (ko) and 墳 (fun), which mean ‘old’ and ‘tomb’ respectively. It’s as simple as that! There’s no difficult terminology when it comes to kofun as there is no written history regarding them. Since no one knows what they were called at the time they were constructed, archaeologists are free to come up with any names for the various types of kofun that they wish. And so they keep the names deliberately simple. To be precise, the name of each type of kofun is basically a description of its shape. For example, the most famous type of kofun, zenpōkōenfun (前方後円墳), simply means ‘front square, back round tomb’. Basic small circular and square kofun were built during the Yayoi era, but it wasn’t until the Kofun era that they grew in size, became more complex in form and began to spread around the country. This new design of kofun was employed from roughly the years 280-645. Since no written history exists for most of that period, historians can only surmise the reasons for their construction. Their best guess incorporates information gleaned from the Gishi-wajinden, a Chinese text documenting reports from Chinese envoys sent to Japan in the Yayoi period. This text teaches us that a war broke out in Japan around the end of the 3 rd century, with numerous tribes vying for control of the country. The war presumably left many dead, meaning there were fewer people to tend the rice fields. In addition, during the extended period of conflict, many of those fields would have dried up. As famine spread around the country, people would have put down their weapons and banded together to create new fields, digging out large mounds of earth in the process. With no other use for these mounds, they were shaped into hills and used as lookout posts. Over time, these hills would have come to represent an area’s rice yield: large mounds = large areas of earth were dug up = numerous rice fields. As the centrepiece of the area, the richest and most influential person would naturally have selected it as their burial place.

Among these remnants is a type of ruin called kofun (古墳, ancient burial mounds) which you can find scattered throughout Japan, with many of them being famous tourist attractions. But what exactly are kofun, and how were they formed? In this article we take a closer look at this interesting part of Japanese history. What is a Kofun? 1. Takamatsuzuka Kofun 2. Daisenryo Kofun 3. Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group 4. Tsukuriyama Kofun 5. Maruyama Kofun What is a Kofun? A kofun is a burial mound inside which an influential or important person was buried. The tradition of burying people in kofun started around the 3rd century and lasted about 400 years, and they were only constructed by people holding a high rank. There are various types of burial mounds, including zenpokoenfun (前方後円墳, keyhole-shaped mounds) and enfun (円墳, round mounds). They were constructed in many different sizes ranging from only 10 meters to as big as 400 meters. Burial facilities were built inside the mounds, and burial accessories were often added as well. The burial accessories could be anything from weapons and farming tools to decorative ornaments and tools believed to hold magical powers. It’s believed that it’s possible to determine a buried person’s wealth and power at the time from the burial accessories placed inside the kofun with them. The period when kofun were constructed in Japan is also called the “ kofun period” (古墳時代). The appearance of kofun is believed to have had a great deal to do with the Yamato regime. The Yamato regime proceeded to unify Japan, and did so in just over 100 years from the late 3rd century. As the Yamato regime’s power spread, local warlords were placed under its control, and it’s believed that they began to build kofun tombs around that time. Since building a kofun mound required considerable manpower and financial resources, it’s very likely that the person who had the tomb built had abundant financial means at the time. Takamatsuzuka Kofun is a burial mound located in Asuka Historical Park in Nara Prefecture and is believed to have been constructed from the end of the 7th century to the early 8th century. The person buried there is still unknown and research is ongoing. The most notable feature is the colorful wall paintings inside the stone burial chamber which are said to have been influenced by ancient Chinese Taoism. 2. Daisenryo Kofun Daisenryo Kofun is a gigantic keyhole-shaped burial mound located in Sakai Ward, Osaka, and is one of the largest burial mounds in Japan, measuring about 486 meters in length. It is believed that the deceased was buried in the circular part of the burial mound and that the edges were lined with many haniwa figures. The burial mound is so large that it would have taken over 15 years to complete with 2,000 people working on it every day. Therefore, the person buried here is considered to have been a very powerful man of his time. 3. Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group is a group of mounds constructed in the late 4th to 5th century, the peak of the kofun period, and is located in Sakai Ward, Osaka. They are mainly the tombs of ancient royalty and include several different types such as keyhole-shaped and round mounds.

Known as kofun, these magnificent tombs are masterpieces of architectural and civil engineering, and have recently been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Japan's tumulus culture arose during the middle of the 3rd century AD, the beginning of what became known as the Kofun period (mid-3rd to late 6th centuries). Osaka prospered as a trading center with the Asian continent, especially China and Korea. The royal tombs of these countries may have influenced Japan's burial mound culture. The Mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku, said to be the final resting place of its eponymous royal, measures 486 meters in length and 34.8 meters in height. It is one of the three largest tombs in the world, along with the mausoleum of the first Quin emperor in China, and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The 49 burial mounds are in two clusters—the Mozu tombs are in Sakai and the Furuichi cluster straddles Habikino and Fujiidera. The tombs of Emperor Nintoku in Sakai and Emperor Ojin (200-310) in Fujiidera and Habikino were both built in the 5th century, the height of the kofun-building trend. These and the other burial mounds are now covered with trees and dense vegetation, and some are ringed by moats. The builders chose elevated sites so that the kofun had even greater prominence. The four tumulus shapes—keyhole, scallop shell, square and round—present a hierarchy of rank in descending order. The kofun is on the Takenouchi Highway, Japan's oldest major road, along which you will find historical sites such as temples connected to Prince Shotoku (574-622). Fujiidera Temple, the fifth site on the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, was established in 725 at the command of Emperor Shomu (701-756). The temple holds a National Treasure-designated sculpture of the goddess Kannon, with a thousand arms and eleven heads. The Mozu kofun (Sakai) are on the coast, while the Furuichi tombs (Habikino and Fujiidera) are 10 kilometers inland to the east. You can reach Mozu Station, on the JR Hanwa Line, from either Kansai International Airport or Shin-Osaka Station in around 50 minutes by train. The Furuichi kofun are best accessed from either Hajinosato or Furuichi stations on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line, about an hour away from Shin-Osaka Station. Photos courtesy of Sakai City, The Imperial Household Agency Explore Mozu-Furuichi Kofun (UNESCO). Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Site portfolio covers both cultural and natural sites of exceptional value.

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The largest keyhole-shaped tomb in Japan - Daisenryo Kofun – is located in the city of Sakai in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Kofun ("ancient grave") are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and the early 7th century AD. The kofun ancient graves (from the Kofun period ca 300-710 AD) have been built in various shapes throughout history. Daisen Kofun, the largest of all kofun, one of many tumuli in the Mozu kofungun, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture (5th century) Image via Osaka.info/wikipedia These structures can be circular- and square-shaped, and their dimensions also vary from several meters to over 400m. When viewed from above, the most common type of kofun is shaped like a keyhole (a zempo-koen-fun), having one square end and one circular end. The Daisen Kofun in Osaka Prefecture, which belongs to Japan's Emperor Nintoku, the 16th emperor, measures about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in length, 249 meters in diameter, 35 meters in height for the back circular mound, 305 meters in width, and 33 meters in height for the front mound. The mound is built with three distinct levels and a space for religious ceremonies, on either side of the narrowest part of the tomb and surrounded by three trenches. There is about 2.8 kilometer-long walkway encircling the tomb, which takes an hour to walk around. This colossal tomb is located in the middle of a cluster known as the Mozu Tumuli, which consists of 92 large and small kofun lying within an area of roughly 16 square kilometers (6.2 square miles). Emperor Nintoku (Woodblock print).

The Nintoku mausoleum in Sakai, Osaka prefecture, Japan, part of the Mozu-Furuichi group of ancient burial sites known as kofun (image: KYODO, Japan Times) The Kofun 古墳 period in Japan is so named after the burial mounds of the ruling class. The practice of building tomb mounds of monumental proportions and burying treasures with the deceased arrived from the Asian continent during the 3rd century. Originally unadorned, these tombs became increasingly ornate; by the 6th century, burial chambers had painted decorations. The burial mounds were encircled with stones; hollow clay earthenware, known in Japanese as haniwa 埴輪, were scattered for protection on the land surrounding the mounds. Kofun were typically keyhole-shaped, had several tiers, and were surrounded by moats. The resulting structure amounted to an impressive display of power, advertising the control of the ruling families. The largest kofun is the Nintoku mausoleum, measuring 486 meters! Haniwa. Left to right: Cylindrical haniwa, 5th century, excavated in Kaga-shi, Ishikawa, earthenware (Tokyo National Museum, image: Steven Zucker); haniwa house, 5th century, excavated in Sakura-shi, Nara, earthenware (Tokyo National Museum); haniwa horse, 5th-6th century, Japan, earthenware, partially restored, H. 94 cm (Tokyo National Museum); haniwa of a female shrine attendant, 6th-7th century, Japan, earthenware, 88.9 cm high (Yale University Art Gallery) The hollow clay objects, haniwa, that were scattered around burial mounds in the Kofun period, have a fascinating history in their own right. Initially simple cylinders, haniwa became representational over the centuries, first modeled as houses and animals and ultimately as human figures, typically warriors. The later pieces have been of great help to anthropologists and historians as tokens of the material culture of the Kofun period, offering a glimpse into that society.

The kofun are funerary burial mounds, artificial hills created by man. They get their name from their shape, which resembles a keyhole. These mounds are all that remain of the graves of the first chiefs and emperors of Japan, a testimony to the ancient period of Japan. And what antiquity! The largest, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, is twice as large as the pyramid of Giza - but only a quarter of its height. It took decades and thousands of workers to build it. The kofun appeared in the third century AD and lasted until the sixth century. They range from Kyushu to the Tokyo area. They are several thousand in all sizes, but the giant kofun are located near the ancient Yamato Province, between Osaka and Nara, and are attributed to the ancestors of the present Emperor. Today, kofun are protected and can be found during walks in Nara and Sakai. You can only admire them from the outside, as in most cases they have remained sealed and intact, protected by law against archaeological excavations. Covered with trees and lush vegetation, they give a picture of what Japan could have looked like centuries ago. Their interiors remain an archaeological mystery. Some tombs have been excavated and their contents are now displayed in the Tokyo National Museum or the Nara Museum. You can admire the famous haniwa, statuettes of terracotta tombs guards. Guests can also visit the site of the great kofun in Sakai to admire from the outside, but without passing through their giant moats: these places are sacred to the Japanese. What are these kofun, former imperial tombs, that dot the landscape between Osaka and Nara? Let's take a step back in time...

The mounds have many different shapes, but the main four categories to classify them are as follows: “zenpo-koen-fun,” consisting of a square front and a circular end like a keyhole; “zenpo-koho-fun,” consisting of two conjoined squares; the square-type "hofun"; and, finally, the circular type “enpun.” There are also 12 other shapes made by combining the ones just described. You need to observe the structures from above in order to be able to distinguish one shape from the other due to their massive size. The Largest Burial Mound in Japan! Daisenryo Kofun of Emperor Nintoku (Sakai, Osaka) Built in the 5th century, Daisenryo Kofun is Japan’s largest burial mound. Located in the city of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, the site is also known as the Mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku and it is said to contain the remains of the emperor of the same name, the 16th emperor in the order of succession in Japanese history. The tumulus is approximately 486m long and 2,850m in circumference. Reserve 1 hour if you wish to walk the whole course around the tomb. According to Japan\'s first history book "Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan),” Emperor Hitoku was a wise ruler. It is said that he lived side by side with his subjects and was loved by everyone. One of the many accounts about his great deeds describes that he didn’t collect taxes during a major famine and thus had to live in a palace whose roof leaked during rainy days. Travel agentsーare you struggling to book trips in Japan? tsunagu Japan Travel is a full service DMC that can arrange custom Japan itineraries. Click below for a consultation! Enter a Massive Stone Burial Chamber! The Stone Tumulus of Ishibutai Kofun (Asuka, Nara) Ishibutai Kofun is a rare type of tomb in Japan. Located in the village of Asuka in Nara Prefecture, this tumulus consists of an open burial chamber entirely made of stone where a coffin was stored. Built in the 6th century with 30 massive blocks of stone, the site shows how technologically advanced ancient Japan was. With an entrance fee of 300 JPY for adults, you can enter the stone chamber and see for yourself how immense the structure is. The tomb is said to have belonged to a political figure of those days called Soga no Umako. Considered a tyrant, it is believed that after his death, his burial ground was opened up and everything from inside the tomb was taken away. Asuka doesn’t have only Ishibutai Kofun to offer. Here you find a wide range of attractions, including one of the oldest Buddha statues in Japan located in the temple Asuka-dera, and other stone structures such as the massive granite slab of Sakafune-ishi, said to be the remains of an ancient Japanese civilization. All of these sites are located 1km up north from Ishibutai Kofun, so a good idea would be to rent a bicycle and visit them all. Imperial tombs are places where only the Emperor, the Imperial Family, and personnel authorized by the Imperial House Agency are allowed to enter. However, the burial mound of Imashirozuka Kofun is the only Imperial tomb where anyone can enter without authorization.