Also known as: Mausoleum of Emperor Buretsu (North)
Location
Nara Pref.
Shape
Round mound
Mound length
20 m
Period
Early 6th c.
IHA designation
IHA-managed (no public entry)
Overview
IHA mausoleum of Emperor Buretsu (North Hill, Kataokaiwatsuki-no-Oka) in Hata, Kashiba City, Nara. Adjacent to the Emperor Kenzo mausoleum (South Hill, id:408). Emperor Buretsu's death without heir and the subsequent accession of Emperor Keitai mark one of the most debated turning points in early Japanese royal succession history. Whether this represents a true bloodline break or legitimate continuation remains a subject of scholarly debate today. The site symbolizes that crucial transition.
Finds & research
No investigation conducted under IHA jurisdiction. Internal structure and grave goods unknown.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
Occupant archaeologically unconfirmed. Emperor Buretsu (r. 499–506) is portrayed in the Nihon Shoki as a ruler of extreme cruelty, a characterization most historians regard as later political invention. His death without heir triggered the accession of Emperor Keitai, widely seen as marking a significant shift in the royal bloodline. The designated site is a small hill; mound structure details unknown. Kitakitsuiriyama Kofun (140m, id:258) is the archaeologically proposed alternative.
Imperial Household Agency view
Officially designated "Kataokaiwatsuki-no-Oka-Kita-no-Misasagi" (North Hill Mausoleum) and managed by the IHA as the mausoleum of Emperor Buretsu (25th Emperor, r. 499–506). Adjacent to the South Hill Mausoleum (Emperor Kenzo, id:408). Emperor Buretsu died without issue; after his death, Emperor Keitai was brought from the Hokuriku region as "5th-generation descendant of Emperor Ojin," marking a major succession event in early Japanese history. Small scale; no confirmed burial mound structure.[IHA Visiting Info] Address: 奈良県香芝市今泉 / Access: JR 志都美駅から徒歩約8分 / Hours: 原則、8時30分～17時 (open year-round in principle). Stamp storage: 畝傍陵墓監区事務所.
Field notes
About 20–25 min walk from Kintetsu Osaka Line Goidō Station. Can be combined with the adjacent Emperor Kenzo mausoleum (id:408) to the south. Combining with Emperor Keitai's mausoleum (Ota Chausuyama Kofun, id:61) makes for an evocative "royal succession" historical tour.