A vast tomb cluster in the hills east of Kashiwara. Most mounds are round and about 10m across, and most studied burial facilities are corridor-style stone chambers. Part of the Hirano-Ogata subgroup is maintained as Takaosan Sozo-no-Mori with a signed path for viewing mounds.
Finds & research
Excavations in the Hirano-Ogata subgroup yielded Sue and Haji ware, earrings and hairpins. Gold earrings came from the Karindobata No. 49 subgroup, where tomb construction continued into the late 7th century.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
A cluster of 1,407 confirmed mounds spread over roughly 4km east–west and 3km north–south in eastern Kashiwara, among the largest in Japan. It is conventionally divided into eight subgroups: Ando, Takaida, Hiraoyama, Karindobata, Hondo, Taiheiji, Hirano-Ogata and Aotani, although some scholars treat them as separate groups. Construction peaked in the late 6th to early 7th century and continued into the late 7th century in parts of the Hiraoyama and Karindobata subgroups.
Imperial Household Agency view
Not an Imperial Household Agency mausoleum. No national, prefectural or municipal historic-site designation has been confirmed for the group as a whole.
Field notes
The principal visitor area is the Hirano-Ogata subgroup in Takaosan Sozo-no-Mori. Kashiwara City provides a kofun walking map; most of the wider group is not prepared for visits. The group pin marks the area near Takaosan Sozo-no-Mori.