Satellite tomb No. Ni (4th, ~26m square mound) of Daisen Kofun. 5th century. A square burial mound form—unusual for a Daisen satellite—located west of the main mound and managed by the IHA as a detached enclosure. The square form satellite may suggest an occupant from a specific clan or cultural group associated with the 5th-century royal household.Constituent monument of the "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group" UNESCO WHS (2019). Square mounds became increasingly common as satellite burials in the Middle Kofun period. Numerous square mounds are found across the Mozu and Furuichi groups (particularly in the Furuichi group, e.g. mounds 37–49). Square satellite mounds like Dogameyama Kofun are valuable evidence for the diversity of burial customs in the 5th-century mound-building tradition.
Finds & research
No excavation permitted under IHA mausoleum regulations. Internal structure and grave goods remain unknown. Exterior viewable from public paths.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
Satellite tomb No. Ni (fourth) of Daisen Kofun. A square mound, ~26m per side. 5th century. A square satellite mound is unusual in the Daisen context and may reflect the occupant's special status or cultural background. Square mounds are more common in the early Kofun period (3rd–4th centuries) but continued to be built in the 5th century. The name "Dogameyama" (Copper Turtle Hill) may derive from a legend about a copper turtle or from a historical find of bronze objects at this location.
Imperial Household Agency view
Managed by the IHA as "Satellite Tomb No. Ni" (fourth in the iroha sequence) of the Nintoku Mausoleum. "Ni" is the fourth kana in the iroha order. A square satellite mound is unusual compared to keyhole, scallop, or round forms, and reflects a distinctive burial form of the period. Managed as a detached parcel of the main mausoleum.