Sakitama Kofun Cluster, Ancient burial mound complex in Gyoda, Japan
The Sakitama Kofun Cluster is a field of ancient burial mounds in Gyōda, Japan, with nine large structures sitting in a public park beside a river. Eight take the shape of a keyhole, one is round, and all rise as wooded hills from the flat plain.
Built between the late fifth and seventh centuries, these mounds mark the last chapter of the East Asian tradition of burying rulers in monumental tombs. The practice faded afterward, as new ideas about graves and power took root.
Locals now walk and picnic among the tree-covered mounds, turning the ancient cemetery into a park. Workshops let visitors shape clay figurines themselves, recreating a craft practiced here centuries ago.
The park provides parking for dozens of vehicles, grassy areas with benches to rest, and access along walking paths that run between the mounds. A museum nearby displays finds and explains the tomb shapes in detail.
An iron sword found in one of the tombs carries an inlaid inscription in gold and ranks among the oldest written records in Japan. The characters tell of the owner and his standing, long before paper became common.
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