Also known as: Yamamomo-no-Misasagi (IHA: attributed to Emperor Heizei)
Location
Nara Pref.
Shape
Keyhole-shaped mound
Mound length
253 m
Period
Early 5th c.
Designation
Imperial Mausoleum (IHA)
IHA designation
IHA-managed (no public entry)
Overview
A major mound in the eastern Saki group, now managed as Emperor Heizei's mausoleum.
Finds & research
The central burial facility and grave assemblage remain unknown. Because the mound was substantially altered, its original structure cannot be inferred from the surviving form alone.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
A keyhole mound at Saki, Nara, with a reconstructed length of about 253m. Its front was levelled during construction of Heijo Palace, leaving mainly the rear portion. Nara City places it within the 5th-century sequence of the eastern Saki group.
Imperial Household Agency view
The IHA designates the site as Yamamomo-no-Misasagi, the mausoleum of the 51st sovereign, Emperor Heizei. The IHA classifies it as a round hill, while archaeologically it is understood as the surviving rear portion of a keyhole mound. The relationship between the attribution and the archaeological date remains unresolved.
Field notes
The IHA locates the mausoleum in Saki, Nara; the worship area is about a five-minute walk from the Heijo Palace Site/Excavated Remains Exhibition Hall bus stop. The precinct is closed.