A group spread across the hills of Mano, Otsu. Many mounds lie within Kasugayama Prefectural Park, where visitors can explore the long history of the group, including its nationally designated E section.
Finds & research
Late mounds in group E include corridor-style stone chambers. The cited public guides do not specify grave goods for the group as a whole.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
One of western Shiga’s largest mound groups, with about 220 mounds. The Agency for Cultural Affairs divides it into six groups and designates 23 mounds of group E as a National Historic Site. Its account dates a 65m keyhole mound in group E to the 5th century, a concentration of corridor-chamber mounds to the later 6th century, and the end of the group to the early 7th. A Shiga Prefecture park guide instead dates two leading keyhole mounds to the late 4th century and the others from the mid-6th to early 7th century. A connection to lineages related to the Wani clan is proposed.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not designated by the IHA. National Historic Site (1974; the E group).
Field notes
Kasugayama Park is about 1km from JR Katata Station and has paths through its kofun zone. The pin marks the vicinity of group E.