★ World Heritage Sakai, Osaka Square mound

Zennuemon Kofun

LocationSakai, Osaka
ShapeSquare mound
Mound length28 m
Period5th c.
World HeritageMozu-Furuichi Kofun Group (UNESCO)

Overview

A small square mound (~28m per side) at the southern end of the Mozu group. 5th century. Not designated by the IHA; managed by Sakai City. One of the smaller square accessory mounds, positioned south of the main mausolea. It marks the southern boundary of the Mozu group and contributes to the overall landscape of the ensemble. The name derives from an Edo-period local landowner.Constituent monument of the "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group" UNESCO WHS (2019). The inclusion of this small square mound among the 49 World Heritage constituents reflects the evaluation of the Mozu-Furuichi group's value through the integrity of the "cultural landscape formed by the entire kofun group" rather than the scale of individual mounds. The adoption of an Edo-period landowner's name as the permanent mound name is a small chapter in the longer story of how Japan's ancient burial mounds have been inherited through successive eras of land management.

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
A square mound, ~28m per side. 5th century, located at the southern end of the Mozu group. Presumed to be a satellite or small accessory burial. Occupant unknown. The proliferation of square-form satellite and accessory mounds in the Middle Kofun period is a feature common to both the Mozu and Furuichi groups, where clusters of square mounds are found around the large keyhole mausolea. The name "Zen'uemon-yama" is presumed to derive from an Edo-period landowner named Zen'uemon, reflecting the history of land use in the early modern period.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not designated by the IHA. Managed by the Sakai City Board of Education. Not an IHA-designated site. Protected by Sakai City as a World Heritage constituent monument.
⛩ Open the interactive map 📍 Google Maps

Sources

堺市教育委員会百舌鳥・古市古墳群 公式サイト

Related kofun

Daisen Kofun (525m) Kamiishizu Misanzai Kofun (365m) Haji Nisanzai Kofun (300m) Gobyoyama Kofun (203m) Tadeiyama Kofun (148m) Itasuke Kofun (146m)
← Shichikanon Kofun Konda Gobyoyama Kofun →