Keyhole mound (120m) in Hashihaka, Sakurai City. A constituent of the Makimuku Kofun Group — the same archaeological zone as the famous Hashihaka Kofun (278m). The Makimuku site is a leading candidate for the 3rd-century political center of the Yamato polity, and this mound is located at its core. National Historic Site.The Makimuku Kofun Group is the most closely watched cluster in Japanese archaeology as the likely birthplace of the keyhole mound. These mounds symbolize 3rd-century political integration across the Japanese archipelago and attract international scholarly attention. Finds from the Makimuku site are displayed at the Sakurai City Archaeological Museum. Within walking distance of JR Makimuku Station.
Finds & research
Investigated as part of the broader Makimuku archaeological survey by Sakurai City Board of Education. Details of stone paving and haniwa remain under investigation.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
Keyhole mound 120m long (Makimuku type). Late 3rd–early 4th century. One of the Makimuku Kofun Group, standing within the same archaeological zone as Hashihaka, Ishizuka, Yatsuka, Katsuyama, and Hokeno. The short, narrow front section typifies the early Makimuku form. As a constituent of the group most likely to be the birthplace of the keyhole mound tradition, this mound documents the 3rd-century development of large-scale burial in the Yamato basin. Occupant unknown.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not designated by the IHA. National Historic Site managed by Sakurai City as part of the Makimuku archaeological complex. Not an imperial or reference site; archaeological investigation has been conducted.