Noge-Otsuka Kofun, Ancient burial mound in Setagaya, Japan.
Noge-Otsuka Kofun is a scallop-shaped burial mound located in the Setagaya area of Tokyo, Japan. It consists of a round section joined to an elongated chamber, and a horseshoe-shaped water moat runs around the outer edge of the earthwork.
The mound was built in the 5th century and held four people along with iron armor and copper mirrors. The quality of these objects suggests the people buried here held a position of power in the local area.
The burial mound sits inside a public park and can be walked around freely. Panels around the site explain what kinds of objects were placed inside tombs during the Kofun period, giving visitors a sense of the beliefs and rituals of that time.
The site is inside a public park in Setagaya and easy to reach on foot from nearby train stations. Comfortable shoes are a good idea, especially after rain, as the paths around the mound can get slippery.
A small protrusion called tsukuri-dashi juts out from the side of the mound, a feature found on only a small number of tombs from that period. This ledge is thought to have been used as a platform for rituals or offerings.
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