★ World Heritage Habikino / Fujiidera, Osaka Keyhole-shaped mound IHA imperial tomb

Nakatsuyama Kofun

Mausoleum of Empress Nakatsuhime (Nakatsuhime-no-Mikoto)
LocationHabikino / Fujiidera, Osaka
ShapeKeyhole-shaped mound
Mound length290 m
PeriodLate 4th c. (Fujiidera); early 5th c. (ACA)
DesignationImperial Tomb (IHA)
World HeritageMozu-Furuichi Kofun Group (UNESCO)
IHA designationIHA-managed (no public entry)

Overview

A 290m-long keyhole mound, the second largest in the Furuichi area and ninth longest in Japan. It was built at the highest point of the plateau with its front section facing south-west; the rear circle rises 26.2m. The mound has three tiers, although a flat surface near its foot may indicate that four tiers were intended, and projections stand on both sides of the waist. A narrow, steep-sided moat and a broad outer embankment distinguish the monument. The Imperial Household Agency administers it as the mausoleum of Nakatsuhime-no-mikoto. It is a constituent monument of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2019.

Finds & research

Tradition records a stone coffin in the burial facility. Cylindrical haniwa stood without gaps on the broad embankment outside the moat, where figural haniwa have also been recovered.

Two views on the occupant

Archaeological view
Occupant archaeologically unknown. At 290m it is second in the Furuichi area and ninth in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Fujiidera City). Fujiidera City dates it to the late 4th century and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to the early Middle Kofun period. It predates Konda Gobyoyama Kofun (Mausoleum of Emperor Ojin, 425m). Built in three tiers; tradition holds that the burial used a stone sarcophagus. A narrow, steep-sided moat rings the mound, with a broad embankment beyond it. The occupant has not been identified.
Imperial Household Agency view
Officially designated "Nakatsuyama-no-Misasagi" by the IHA, attributed to Empress Nakatsu-hime, consort of Emperor Ojin. The specific attribution cannot be archaeologically verified.

Field notes

The moat water creates a scenic landscape, and the full keyhole profile can be observed from the outer road. Nearest stations: Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line Hajinosato (~7 min walk) or Domyoji (~16 min walk).

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Sources

百舌鳥・古市古墳群 公式サイト文化庁 文化遺産オンライン(世界遺産構成資産解説)藤井寺市「仲姫命陵古墳」

Related kofun

Konda Gobyoyama Kofun (425m) Oka Misanzai Kofun (245m) Ichinoyama Kofun (230m) Hakayama Kofun (225m) Tsudoshiroyama Kofun (210m) Karusato Otsuka Kofun (200m)
← Konda Gobyoyama Kofun Oka Misanzai Kofun →