★ World HeritageHabikino / Fujiidera, OsakaKeyhole-shaped moundIHA imperial tomb
Oka Misanzai Kofun
Mausoleum of Emperor Chuai
Location
Habikino / Fujiidera, Osaka
Shape
Keyhole-shaped mound
Mound length
245 m
Period
Late–final 5th c. (Fujiidera); Middle Kofun (ACA)
Designation
Imperial Tomb (IHA)
World Heritage
Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group (UNESCO)
IHA designation
IHA-managed (no public entry)
Overview
A keyhole mound 245m long (242m in some sources), the third largest in the Furuichi area. It was built on the north-east edge of the Habikino hills with its front section facing south; the rear circle rises 19.5m. The mound has three tiers and a projection only on the east side of the waist. A broad moat surrounds it, and cylindrical haniwa also stood on the embankment. Although reused as a castle and altered in the Muromachi period, its overall form survives. The Imperial Household Agency administers it as the mausoleum of Emperor Chuai. Its construction date is disputed; the Agency for Cultural Affairs assigns it broadly to the Middle Kofun period. It is a constituent monument of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2019.
Finds & research
Details of the burial facility and grave goods are unknown. Cylindrical and figural haniwa have been recovered from the mound and moat, and cylindrical haniwa also stood on the surrounding embankment.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
The occupant has not been archaeologically identified. Fujiidera City dates the mound to the late or final 5th century from its haniwa, while the Agency for Cultural Affairs assigns it more broadly to the Middle Kofun period and notes that opinions differ. The IHA attribution to Emperor Chuai is separate from this archaeological dating.
Imperial Household Agency view
Officially designated "Ega-no-Nagano-no-Nishi-no-Misasagi" (Mausoleum of Emperor Chuai) by the IHA. Emperor Chuai was the consort of Empress Jingu; according to the chronicles he died at Kashii in Tsukushi (northern Kyushu) during a campaign against the Kumaso, and it was Empress Jingu who led the Three Kingdoms campaign after his death. Public access is restricted.[IHA Visiting Info] Address: 4-chome Fujiidera, Fujiidera, Osaka / Access: about 14 min walk from Kintetsu Fujiidera Station / Hours: 8:30–17:00 in principle (open year-round). Stamp: Furuichi Imperial Mausolea Office.