Also known as: (IHA: Shimosakamoto Ryobo Sankochi)
Location
Shiga Pref.
Shape
Scallop-shaped mound
Mound length
73 m
Period
5th c.
Overview
A mid-period chieftain's mound at Kinooka, Otsu, gazing on Lake Biwa — where the legend of Emperor Tenji's empress meets the archaeology of a 5th-century lakeside lord.
Finds & research
Stone paving confirmed (no haniwa); burial uninvestigated.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
A scallop-shaped mound 73m long and ~10m high, two-tiered with stone paving (no haniwa found), built in the 5th century; the burial is uninvestigated. The core of the Kinooka group on Lake Biwa's shore — its 5th-century date rules out the 7th-century empress, so archaeologists see a local lakeside chieftain.
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.