Habikino, City of tombs and vineyards in Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Habikino sits on the Kawachi Plain between the Ikoma, Kongo and Katsuragi mountain ranges, about twenty miles southeast of central Osaka. The city includes several neighborhoods with residential areas, hillside vineyards and wide green spaces crossed by small rivers.
The city formed in 1959 when several municipalities merged, including Furuichi and surrounding villages that had previously united under the name Minami-Osaka. The area was already inhabited during the Kofun period between the third and seventh centuries and now contains hundreds of ancient burial mounds from that era.
The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group contains numerous ancient burial mounds, including Japan's largest tumulus, the Ojin-tenno-ryo Kofun, registered as World Heritage.
The city is best explored by local train or bicycle, as its main points of interest spread across several miles. Plan several hours to visit the wineries and burial mounds, and wear comfortable shoes for the sometimes hilly paths.
The local wineries produce most of the wine from Osaka Prefecture and offer grape-picking opportunities during autumn. Some of the burial mounds are accessible on foot with pathways, while others remain closed for preservation and can only be viewed from the outside.
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