Octagonal Kofun
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are megalithic
tomb A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
s or
tumuli A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
in
Northeast Asia Northeast Asia or Northeastern Asia is a geographical Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia. Its northeastern landmass and islands are bounded by the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean. The term Northeast Asia was popularized during the 1930s by Ame ...
. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the
Japanese archipelago The is an archipelago of list of islands of Japan, 14,125 islands that form the country of Japan. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East China Sea, East China and Philippine Sea, Philippine seas in the southwest al ...
between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』大和書房、2006年。 The term is the origin of the name of the
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 ...
, which indicates the middle 3rd century to early–middle 6th century. Many ''kofun'' have distinctive keyhole-shaped mounds (). The Mozu- Furuichi kofungun or tumulus clusters were inscribed on the
UNESCO World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
in 2019, while
Ishibutai Kofun is a Kofun period burial mound, located in the village of Asuka, Nara in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1935. In 1954 the designation was elevated to a , The ''kofun'' is also known ...
is one of a number in
Asuka-Fujiwara Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals and Related Properties is a cluster of archaeological sites from in and around the late sixth- to early eighth-century Capital of Japan, capitals of Asuka, Yamato, Asuka and Fujiwara ...
residing on the Tentative List.


Overview

The ''kofun tumuli'' have assumed various shapes throughout history. The most common type of ''kofun'' is known as a , which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. There are also circular-type (), "two conjoined rectangles" typed (), and square-type () 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.
Haniwa The are terracotta clay figures that were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th centuries AD) of the history of Japan. ''Haniwa'' were created according to the ''wazumi'' technique ...
,
terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
figures, were arrayed above and in the surroundings to delimit and protect the sacred areas. ''Kofun'' range from several metres to over 400 m long. The largest, which has been attributed to
Emperor Nintoku , also known as was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as the . While his existence ...
, is
Daisen Kofun The are a group of ''kofun'' ()—megalithic tombs—in Sakai, Osaka, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Originally consisting of more than 100 tombs, fewer than 50% of the key-hole, round, and rectangular tombs remain. The , the largest ''kofun' ...
in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. The funeral chamber was located beneath the round part and comprised a group of megaliths. In 1972, the unlooted
Takamatsuzuka Tomb The is an Asuka period burial mound, located in the village of Asuka, Nara in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1972. History The tumulus was discovered October 1970 when villagers ...
was found in Asuka, and some details of the discovery were revealed. Inside the tightly assembled rocks, white
lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...
plasters were pasted, and colored pictures depict the 'Asuka Beauties' of the court as well as constellations. A stone coffin was placed in the chamber, and accessories, swords, and bronze mirrors were laid both inside and outside the coffin. The wall paintings have been designated
national treasures A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...
and the grave goods as important cultural property, while the tumulus is a special historic site.


Locations and number

''Kofun'' burial mounds and their remains have been found all over Japan, including remote islands such as Nishinoshima. A total of 161,560 kofun tomb sites have been found as of 2001.
Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
has the most of all prefectures (16,577 sites), and
Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...
has the second most (13,112 sites).


History


Yayoi period

Most of the tombs of chiefs in the
Yayoi period The Yayoi period (弥生時代, ''Yayoi jidai'') (c. 300 BC – 300 AD) is one of the major historical periods of the Japanese archipelago. It is generally defined as the era between the beginning of food production in Japan and the emergence o ...
were square-shaped mounds surrounded by ditches. The most notable example in the late Yayoi period is Tatetsuki Mound Tomb in
Kurashiki, Okayama is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 478,651 and a population density of 1300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kurashiki is located in the south-central part of Okay ...
. The mound is about 45 metres wide and 5 metres high and has a shaft chamber. Broken pieces of ''Tokushu-kidai'', cylindrical earthenware, were excavated around the mound. Another prevalent type of Yayoi period tomb is the ''Yosumi tosshutsugata funkyūbo'', a square mound with protruding corners. These tombs were built in the
San'in region The is an area in the southwest of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It consists of the northern part of the Chūgoku region, facing the Sea of Japan. Specifically, it is the two prefectures of Shimane Prefecture, Shimane and Tottori Prefecture ...
, a coastal area off the Sea of Japan. Unearthed articles indicate the existence of alliances between native tribes in the region.


Early Kofun period

One of the first keyhole-shaped kofun was built in the area, the southeastern part of the Nara Basin.
Hashihaka Kofun The is a megalithic tomb (''kofun'') located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The Hashihaka ''kofun'' is considered to be the first large keyhole-shaped ''kofun'' constructed in Japan and is associated with the emergence of the Yamato Kingshi ...
, which was built in the middle of the 3rd century AD, is 280 metres long and 30 metres high. Its scale is obviously different from previous Yayoi tombs. During the next three decades, about 10 kofun were built in the area. They are now known as the ''Makimuku Kofun Group''. A wooden coffin was placed on the bottom of a shaft, and the surrounding walls were built up by flat stones. Finally, megalithic stones formed the roof. Bronze mirrors, iron swords, ''
magatama are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Jōmon period, Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as jewels, were made of stone and e ...
'', clay vessels and other artifacts were found in good condition in undisturbed tombs. Some scholars assume that the person buried in the ''Hashihaka kofun'' was the shadowy ancient Queen
Himiko , also known as the , was a shamaness-queen of Yamatai-koku in . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom (220–265) and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler ...
of
Yamataikoku Yamatai or Yamatai-koku is the Sino-Japanese vocabulary, Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa (Japan) during the late Yayoi period The Chinese language, Chinese text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' first recorded the name as ()Sc ...
, mentioned in Chinese historical texts. According to these texts, Japan was called Wa, and was a confederation of numerous small tribes or countries. The construction of gigantic kofun was the result of the relatively centralized governmental structure in the Nara Basin, possibly the origin of the Yamato polity and the Imperial lineage of Japan.


Mid-Kofun period

During the 5th century AD, the construction of keyhole kofun began in
Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, th ...
; continued in Kawachi, where gigantic kofun, such as
Daisen Kofun The are a group of ''kofun'' ()—megalithic tombs—in Sakai, Osaka, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Originally consisting of more than 100 tombs, fewer than 50% of the key-hole, round, and rectangular tombs remain. The , the largest ''kofun' ...
of the
Emperor Nintoku , also known as was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as the . While his existence ...
, were built; and then throughout the country. The proliferation of keyhole kofun is generally assumed to be evidence of the Yamato court's expansion in this age. However, some argue that it simply shows the spread of culture based on progress in distribution, and has little to do with a political breakthrough. A few tombs from the mid-Baekje era were excavated around the Yeongsan River basin in South Korea. The design of these tombs are notably different. The tombs that were discovered on the Korean peninsula were built between the 5th and 6th centuries CE. There remain questions about who were buried in these tombs such as nobility, aristocracy, warriors or mercenaries. File:CG Gosashi Kofun 1 7p.jpg, An example of keyhole-shaped mound in the Early Kofun period which was drawn in
3DCG 3D computer graphics, sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics, are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the purposes of perfor ...
.
( Gosashi Kofun (
Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan. , Nara has an estimated population of 367,353 according to World Population Review, making it the largest city in Nara Prefecture and sixth-largest in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara is a core ...
), 4th century) File:CG Nakatsuyama kofun Southeast.jpg, An example of keyhole-shaped mound in the Mid-Kofun period which was drawn in 3DCG.
( (
Fujiidera, Osaka 270px, The temple of Fujii-dera, after which the city is named is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 63,446 in 29501 households and a population density of 7100 persons per km². The total area of ...
), 5th century) File:CG Danpusan Kofun 6 7p.jpg, An example of keyhole-shaped mound in the Late Kofun period which was drawn in 3DCG
(
Danpusan Kofun 250px, Sketch of Danpusan Kofun The is a large keyhole-shaped ''kofun'' burial mound located within the grounds of the Atsuta Shrine complex in the Hayata neighborhood of Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Histori ...
(
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
), 6th century)


Late Kofun period

Keyhole-shaped kofun disappeared in the late 6th century AD, probably due to the drastic reformation in the Yamato court. records the introduction of
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
during this era, which led to
cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
becoming the primary funerary means of the nobility.


Types


Keyhole Kofun

Keyhole Kofun, or Zenpokoenfun, are a notable type of Japanese ancient tomb consisting of a square front part () and a circular back part (). The part connecting the two is called the middle part (), which looks like a
keyhole A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, keycard, fingerprint, RFID card, security token or coin), by supplying secret information (such as a number or letter permutation or pas ...
when viewed from above.


Round Kofun

(円墳, ''enpun'') are a kind of kofun that possesses only a round mound and lacks the square segment.


Square Kofun

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.


Scallop Kofun

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 . Famous examples include
Hokenoyama Kofun is an early Kofun period burial mound and one of the tumuli in the Makimuku Kofun Cluster in the Hashihaka neighborhood of the city of Sakurai Nara Prefecture, Japan. Collectively with the other tumuli in the Makimuku Kofun Cluster, it was des ...
in the
Makimuku ruins The Makimuku ruins are ruins in Nara Prefecture Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai near Mount Miwa. Recovered artifacts are of the Yayoi Period and Kofun Period. It is designated as a national historic site, and an archaeological site that began in the ...
, dated to around 250 AD, and
Nyotaizan Kofun is a scallop-shaped Kofun period kofun, burial mound located in what is now the Kashima neighborhood of the city of Ōta, Gunma, Ōta, Gunma Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. The site was designated a Monuments of Japan, National ...
.


Octagonal Kofun

are a very rare kind of kofun characteristic of Emperors. Many Japanese Emperors were buried in them including
Empress Kōgyoku , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (37)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Both her reigns were within the Asuka period. Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her r ...
in
Kengoshizuka Kofun 270px, Kengoshizuka Kofun before reconstruction is a Kofun period burial mound, located in the Koshi neighborhood of the village of Asuka, Nara in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 19 ...
,
Emperor Tenji , known first as and later as until his accession, was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son of Emperor Jomei and Empress Kōgyoku (Empress Saimei), and his children included Empress Jitō, Empress Genmei, an ...
in his Mausoleum, and
Emperor Jomei was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (34)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641. Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, ...
in
Dannozuka Kofun was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (34)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641. Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, ...
From the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th, the tumuli of the monarchs changed from to octagonal tumuli.


List of Octagonal Kofun

* * * *
Kajiyama Kofun 270px, Kajiyama Kofun mural The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the Okamasu, Kokufucho, neighborhood of the city of Tottori, Tottori Prefecture in the San'in region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Jap ...
*
Kengoshizuka Kofun 270px, Kengoshizuka Kofun before reconstruction is a Kofun period burial mound, located in the Koshi neighborhood of the village of Asuka, Nara in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 19 ...
* * Takei temple ruins *
Dannozuka Kofun was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (34)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641. Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, ...
* *
Nakaoyama Kofun is a Kofun period burial mound, located in the Uta neighborhood of the village of Asuka, Nara in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1927. Overview The Nakaoyama Kofun is located 1.5 ki ...
*
Nakayamasōen Kofun is an Asuka period kofun, burial mound, located in the Nakayamasōen neighborhood of the city of Takarazuka, Hyōgo in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a Monuments of Japan, National Historic Site of Japan in 1999. Overvi ...
* * *
Yoshida Kofun The is ''kofun'' burial mound located in the Motoyoshida neighborhood of the city of Mito, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. The ''kofun'' was designated a National Historic Site in 1922, with the area under protection extended in 2 ...


Zenpō-kōhō-fun

is a kind of ''kofun'' shaped somewhat like the more keyhole shaped
Zenpokoenfun Zenpokoenfun is an architectural model of Japanese ancient tombs (Kofun), which consists of a square front part (, Zenpō-bu) and a circular back part (, Kōen-bu). The part connecting the two is called the middle part (, Kubire-bu), which looks ...
, but they have a square body rather than a circular one. They tend to be smaller than
Zenpokoenfun Zenpokoenfun is an architectural model of Japanese ancient tombs (Kofun), which consists of a square front part (, Zenpō-bu) and a circular back part (, Kōen-bu). The part connecting the two is called the middle part (, Kubire-bu), which looks ...
.
Yanaida Nunōyama Kofun is a ''kofun'' burial mound located in the Yanaida neighborhood of the city of Himi, Toyama in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The tumulus has been protected as a National Historic Site since 2001. Outline The Yanaida Nunōyama Kofun is located in ...
is one of the largest of the type. There is a specific style exemplified by
Yadani Kofun is a Yayoi period burial mound, located in the Higashisakaya neighborhood of the city of Miyoshi, Hiroshima in the San'yō region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a Monuments of Japan, National Historic Site of Japan in 1979. Although it is ...
and
Jinyama Tumulus Cluster is a group of Yayoi period burial mounds, located in the Shijukan and Mukaeda neighborhoods of the city of Miyoshi, Hiroshima in the San'yō region of Japan. The tumulus group was collectively designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 200 ...
and Rokuji Kozuka Kofun and Tomisaki Kofungun of
Ōzuka-Senbōyama Sites is a group of seven archaeological sites located in what is now part of the city of Toyama (city), Toyama in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The sites consist of the ruins of a settlement which existed from the late Jōmon period through Kofun peri ...
as , which is square or rectangular, with protrusions on each of its four corners; however, it is unique in that it is not a true rectangle, but has a narrow waist, similar to a "two conjoined rectangles" type (). The slope of the mound is covered with ''
fukiishi ( or "roofing stone") were a means of covering burial chambers and Tumulus, burial mounds during the kofun period of Japan (). Stones collected from riverbeds were affixed to the slopes of raised kofun and other burial chambers. They are consi ...
'' -like stones, with a row of larger stones marking its edge, and is surrounded by a two-meter wide moat. The ''yosumi-tosshutsugata'' style is unique to the late middle Yayoi period and is most prevalent in western Japan in areas influenced by the Izumo culture.


Joenkahofun

is a rare kind of kofun with a round dome top and a square bottom. They are associated with the
Asuka Period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...
.
Musashi Fuchū Kumano Jinja Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the city of Fuchū, Tokyo in the Kantō region of Japan. It received protection as a National Historic Site in 1970. Overview The Musashi Fuchu Kumano Jinja Kofun is located on the north side of a K ...
in
Fuchū Fuchū may refer to: Current settlements *Fuchū, Tokyo, a city in Tokyo *Fuchū, Hiroshima, a city in Hiroshima Prefecture *Fuchū, Hiroshima (town), a town in Hiroshima Prefecture * , a former town (1889–2005) in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, which ...
in Tokyo and
Miyazuka Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the Hirose neighborhood of what is now the city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan. It was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1956. Overview The Miyazuka Kof ...
are two notable examples.


List of Joenkahofun

* * * * * *
Miyazuka Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the Hirose neighborhood of what is now the city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan. It was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1956. Overview The Miyazuka Kof ...
*
Musashi Fuchū Kumano Jinja Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the city of Fuchū, Tokyo in the Kantō region of Japan. It received protection as a National Historic Site in 1970. Overview The Musashi Fuchu Kumano Jinja Kofun is located on the north side of a K ...


Corridor-type kofun

are a kind of kofun dug as artificial caves in
Ancient Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Japanese Paleolithic, Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the fi ...
.


UNESCO Kofun Group

This list includes the "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan," which was inscribed as a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
on 6 July 2019.


Aerial photos

Image:Oyamato Yanagimoto kofun group.jpg, Oyamato, Yanagimoto and Makimuku Kofun Group, Nara Prefecture, 3rd century Image:Sakitatanamikofungun.jpg, Saki Tatanami Kofun Group and the
Heijō-kyō was the Capital of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710 to 740 and again from 745 to 784. The imperial palace is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient ...
site, Nara Prefecture, 4th century Image:Furuichi kofun group.jpg, Furuichi Kofun Group, Osaka Prefecture, 5th century


See also

*
William Gowland William Gowland FRAI (16 December 1842 – 9 June 1922) was an English mining engineer who carried out archaeological work at Stonehenge and in Japan. He has been called the "Father of Japanese Archaeology". Biography Gowland was born in Sund ...
, a British engineer who made the first survey for Saki kofun group *
Ernest Satow Sir Ernest Mason Satow (30 June 1843 – 26 August 1929), was a British diplomat, scholar and Japanologist. He is better known in Japan, where he was known as , than in Britain or the other countries in which he served as a diplomat. He was ...
, a British diplomat who wrote about kofun in Kozuke for the
Asiatic Society of Japan The Asiatic Society of Japan, Inc. (一般社団法人日本アジア協会” or “Ippan Shadan Hojin Nihon Ajia Kyokai”) or "ASJ" is a non-profit organization of Japanology. ASJ serves members of a general audience that have shared interests ...
*
Fukiishi ( or "roofing stone") were a means of covering burial chambers and Tumulus, burial mounds during the kofun period of Japan (). Stones collected from riverbeds were affixed to the slopes of raised kofun and other burial chambers. They are consi ...
, stones used to cover kofun * Kofun system *
Zenpokoenfun Zenpokoenfun is an architectural model of Japanese ancient tombs (Kofun), which consists of a square front part (, Zenpō-bu) and a circular back part (, Kōen-bu). The part connecting the two is called the middle part (, Kubire-bu), which looks ...
* * * * * * *


Notes


References

*飛鳥高松塚 (''Takamatsuzuka, Asuka''), 橿原考古学研究所編, 明日香村, 1972. *前方後円墳 (''Keyhole-shaped kofun''), 上田宏範, 学生社, 東京, 1969. *前方後円墳と古代日朝関係 (''Keyhole-shaped kofun and diplomatic relations between ancient Japan and Korea''), 朝鮮学会編, 東京, 同成社, 2002. *


External links


Kofun - World History Encyclopedia


*
Decorated Kofun Database

Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties {{Authority control Archaeology of death Asuka period Kofun period Mounds Nara period World Heritage Sites in Japan