A vast group in Wakayama City, part of which is protected as a Special Historic Site and maintained within Kii-Fudoki-no-Oka. It is known for Iwase-type chambers with stone shelves and beams, Tennozuka (id:319), and Dainichiyama No. 35 (id:320), which yielded figural haniwa designated Important Cultural Properties.
Finds & research
Evidence includes the stone shelves and beams of Iwase-type corridor chambers, beads, mirrors, gold earrings, weapons, horse gear and Sue ware. Figural haniwa and other finds from Dainichiyama No. 35 are national Important Cultural Properties.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
A group of about 1,000 tombs around the Iwase hills south of the Kinokawa River, built from the Early to Terminal Kofun period. Small round mounds predominate, with keyhole tombs also standing on the ridges. Burial facilities include corridor and pit chambers, stone coffins and clay-covered chambers; some corridor chambers have distinctive crystalline-schist shelves and beams. The designated area includes Otaniyama, Dainichiyama, Maeyama A/B, parts of Wasa, Inbe and Terauchi.
Imperial Household Agency view
Designated a National Historic Site on 31 July 1931 and a Special Historic Site on 29 March 1952, with a further extension on 18 September 2025. Wakayama Prefecture’s current account gives about 1,000 mounds overall, of which about 700 and roughly 1.61 million square metres are within the designated area; the entire group is not designated.
Field notes
As of 2026, the Kii-Fudoki-no-Oka museum is temporarily closed for rebuilding, while the grounds remain open outside construction zones. Tennozuka is closed to visitors because of conservation work and a blocked access road, tentatively through the end of fiscal 2026. Check the official site before visiting. The group pin is near Kii-Fudoki-no-Oka.