Tomio-Maruyama Kofun, Circular burial mound in Nara, Japan.
Tomio-Maruyama Kofun is a circular burial mound in the Owada-cho district of Nara City, about 86 meters (282 ft) across and around 10 meters (33 ft) tall. The upper section of the mound contains a burial chamber built from packed earth, forming the core of the structure.
This mound dates to the 5th century, placing it in the later part of the Kofun period in Japan. It was built during a time when large earthen tombs served as a way for powerful figures to assert their status across the landscape.
The name Tomio-Maruyama comes from the local landscape of hills surrounding Nara. Visitors walking around the mound can still read its circular shape clearly, which gives a direct sense of how people of that era marked a burial as something set apart from ordinary ground.
The site is accessible to visitors, but ongoing archaeological work may affect which parts of the area can be entered at any given time. It is worth checking current conditions before heading out, as access may be restricted near active excavation zones.
Excavations at this site uncovered a very long iron sword and a decorated bronze mirror, both considered rare finds for a mound of this type. The iron sword is among the longest ever found in Japan, which sets this site apart from most other burial mounds of the same period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
