Iwatoyama-kofun, Keyhole-shaped burial mound in Yame, Japan
Iwatoyama-kofun is the largest keyhole-shaped burial mound in northern Kyushu, featuring one square end and one circular end that create its distinctive profile. The structure sits prominently on the landscape with pathways that allow visitors to walk around it.
The burial mound dates to the 600s and held the remains of a regional leader of the Chikugo territory. It belongs to a cluster of tombs in the area that reflects the region's importance during that period.
Terracotta figures called haniwa are placed along the tomb's edges, showing human and animal forms that reveal how people honored their dead long ago.
The site is easy to explore with a dirt path from the northern parking area leading to the mound and surrounding walkways. An adjacent museum displays excavated artifacts and offers more context about the location.
The nearby museum holds many objects not just from this mound but from several other tombs in the area, showing how burial practices changed and developed over centuries.
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