A terminal-period octagonal mound preserved amid Takarazuka's housing. Why the imperial octagon rose on a Settsu hill remains a riddle — one you can ponder up close.
Finds & research
Corridor-type chamber (3.4m main room, unusual passage); one iron nail and pottery sherds.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
An octagonal mound ~13m across and 2.6m high — the only one in Hyogo. Built in the mid-7th century, with a corridor-type chamber (3.4m main room) of unusual plan. Finds were minimal: one iron nail and pottery sherds. A provincial appearance of the octagonal plan otherwise reserved for sovereigns, tentatively linked to the Wakayue-no-muraji lineage.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not designated by the IHA. National Historic Site (1999).
Field notes
About 10 min on foot from Mefu-Jinja Station (no parking); maintained and open since 2006.