Mozu Tombs 百舌鳥古墳群
Sakai,Osaka Prefecture,Japan
The Mozu Tombs Cluster Area Created based on aerial photographs from the Japan Geospatial Information Authority of theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's map and aerial photo browsing service.
Site information
Owner	Imperial Household Agency
Condition	Intact
Location
Mozu Tombs 百舌鳥古墳群
Coordinates	34°33′50″N135°29′13″E / 34.564°N 135.487°E /34.564; 135.487
Site history
Built	3rd to 6th century
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: iii, iv
Reference	1593
Inscription	2019 (43rdSession)
Area	166.6 ha
Buffer zone	890 ha
National Historic Site of Japan

TheMozu Tombs (百舌鳥古墳群,Mozu kofungun) are a group ofkofun (Japanese:古墳)—megalithic tombs—inSakai,Osaka Prefecture,Japan. Originally consisting of more than 100 tombs, fewer than 50% of the key-hole, round, and rectangular tombs remain.^[1][2]

TheDaisenryo Kofun (大仙陵古墳,Daisenryō kofun),^[3] the largestkofun inJapan, is believed to have been constructed over a period of 20 years in the mid 5th century during theKofun Period. While it cannot be accurately confirmed, it is commonly accepted that the tomb was built for the lateEmperor Nintoku.^[4] TheImperial Household Agency of Japan treats it as such.

The Mozu Kofun Cluster is located in the city ofSakai which is withinOsaka Prefecture. The tumuli are built on a plateau overlookingOsaka Bay near the ancient coastline and are distributed in a range of about four kilometers from east-to-west and north-to-south.TheFuruichi Kofun Cluster is located in nearbyHabikino andFujiidera cities.^[5]

In theJapanese archipelago, more than 20,000 tumuli (kofun), which are mounds of earth and stones erected over graves of the ruling class, were built between the later part of the 3rd century and the 6th century.^[6] It was the peak period of building such mounds.^[5] They represent a cultural tradition which is an expression of "forms, and design of the kofun" of the sociopoliticalhierarchical order and the link that was prevalent during that period between regions. This period is termed as theKofun Period.^[6] The most prominent imperial mausolea in this cluster of tumuli are those ofEmperor Nintoku andEmperor Richū.^[7]

There are 44 burial mounds in the Mozu cluster, including those that are partially destroyed.^[8] Of these, 19 have been designated as national historic sites,^[9][10] and separately, theImperial Household Agency has ruled three to be Imperial mausoleums, two to be "Tomb Reference Sites", and 18 to be "baichō", or ancillary mausoleums connected with an Imperial mausoleum.^[11] There used to be more than 100 burial mounds, but due to the rapid development of residential land after World War II, more than half of the burial mounds were destroyed.^[8]

In 2010, the Japanese government proposed that the Daisen Kofun and the entire cluster of Mozu Tombs andFuruichi Tombs be designated as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.^[12] 9 years later on 6 July 2019, the site was approved and inscribed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site under Criteria: (iii) and (iv) as the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan.^[13]

Thekofun are found in many shapes and dimensions in varying patterns. Some are of simplecircular orsquare shape (empun andhōfun). The larger ones are keyhole-shaped (zempō kōenfun); they represent the highest class ofkofun and were built in great detail.^[6] The three prominent aspects of thesekofun are their massive size and being surrounded by several moats and many secondarykofun.^[5]

In theOsaka Plain andNara Basin, which were the cultural centre of the Kofun Period, the rounded keyhole-shaped tombs were built extending to very large lengths, out of which the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Clusters are the most prominent. These are in twokofun groups which are dated to the later part of 4th and early part of 6th centuries. Thesekofun are of the largest dimensions in the country. The Nintoku-tennō-ryō Kofun, is one grave mound which is a 486 metres (1,594 ft) long tumulus enclosed by a moat and afortification which is 840 metres (2,760 ft) in length; this is said to be the largest such mound in the world. This cluster also has the Richū-tennō-ryō Kofun, made of a tumulus of 360 metres (1,180 ft) length and said to be the third largest in the country.^[6]

Another group of mounds, located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away from the Mozu cluster is known as the Furuichi cluster. It has the Ōjin-tennō-ryō Kofun of 425 metres (1,394 ft) length which is said to be the second largest in the country. This group also has 11 more huge massive rounded "keyhole-shaped kofun" with mound length of 200 metres (660 ft) or more.^[6]

A feature of these funerary mounds is that they contain – along with the buried people –grave goods made of iron, weapons worn by individuals including arrowheads, swords, hoe and spade tips, and many other similar items. Also found in the mounds are antiquities made of gilded bronze such as horse tacks and sash buckles.^[5]

The Daisen Kofun mound is approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) long and 300 metres (980 ft) across at its widest point, while the entire tomb area is 840 metres (2,760 ft) long.^[14] Enclosed by three moats, the mound rises approximately 35m above the surrounding terrain. The highest point is 47 metres (154 ft), making it visible to the seafarers in nearby Osaka Bay.^[15] The inner moat is the widest of the moats at approximately 60 metres (200 ft). The mound is approximately 100,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft) in area, and the entire tomb is 460,000 square metres (5,000,000 sq ft).

Today, the tomb is off-limits and protected by the Imperial Household Agency in the centre of Sakai City. The moats have been maintained and provide a sanctuary for fish and waterbirds. The mound itself is completely overgrown by vegetation. A viewing platform from the second (middle) moat is accessible at the south side of the site. The viewing platform is 500m away fromMozu Station on theHanwa Line and is directly across the street from theSakai City Museum.^[16] This museum provides visitors with information about thekofun and its history.

• 
  Daisenryo Kofun, 2.8 km in circumference and the largest kofun inJapan, is thought to be the Tomb ofEmperor Nintoku.
• 
  Kamiishizu Misanzai Kofun
• 
  Haze Nisanzai Kofun
• 
  Mozu Gobyo-yama Kofun
• 
  Tadeiyama Kofun
• 
  Itasuke Kofun

• Buried Cultural Properties
• List of Historic Sites of Japan (Osaka)
• List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials)
• World Heritage Sites in Japan

• Fawcett, Clare P. (1990).A study of the socio-political context of Japanese archaeology. McGill University, Montréal.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMozu Kofun Group.

• (in English)Entry on UNESCO World Heritage tentative list
• (in Japanese)Mozu Kofun database
• (in Japanese)Decorated Kofun Database

• Buildings and structures in Osaka Prefecture
• Tourist attractions in Osaka Prefecture
• History of Osaka Prefecture
• World Heritage Sites in Japan
• Historic Sites of Japan
• Sakai, Osaka
• Japanese imperial tombs
• Kofun clusters

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Japanese-language text
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Commons category link is on Wikidata