A mid-period chieftain's mound at Konooka, Otsu, gazing on Lake Biwa — where the legend of Emperor Tenji's empress meets the archaeology of a 5th-century lakeside lord.
Finds & research
The cited sources do not establish the burial facility or grave goods.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
A scallop-shaped mound about 73m long. An archaeological study places it in the early to mid-5th century. It belongs to the Konooka group and is managed by the IHA as the Shimosakamoto Mausoleum Reference Site. The cited sources do not establish the mound’s detailed structure or burial facility. Its archaeological date predates the 7th-century candidate occupant, Yamato-hime.
Imperial Household Agency view
Managed by the IHA as the Shimosakamoto reference site; the candidate occupant is Empress Yamato-hime, consort of Emperor Tenji. Closed, with an oratory.
Field notes
Closed as a reference site; view from the oratory. Walkable from JR Hieizan-Sakamoto Station.