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All Japan Takasaki Hodota Burial Mounds

Hodota Burial Mounds

A trio of keyhole-shaped burial mounds restored to their ancient glory.

Takasaki, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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Aerial view of the burial site.   Geospatial Information Authority of Japan/CC BY 4.0
Aerial view of the burial site.   Geospatial Information Authority of Japan/CC BY 4.0
An ancient priestess offering a cup to the gods.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The museum boasts a huge collection of haniwa figurines.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Haniwa replicas keep watch over the tombs.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
One of the greatest burial mounds of Japan.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
One of the tumuli is right next to the museum.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Hodota archaeological complex.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Overlooking the town from the top.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The stone sarcophagus.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Hodota archaeological site, Gunma Prefecture.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A haniwa wearing a crown.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A terracotta horse excavated from the site.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Hachiman-zuka Kofun.   Saigen Jiro/Public Domain
  livingasnebulae / Atlas Obscura User
  livingasnebulae / Atlas Obscura User
The Futagoyama (“twin mountains”) Kofun.   Saigen Jiro/Public Domain
A boat-shaped sarcophagus unearthed from the kofun   Saigen Jiro/Public Domain
All that remains of the Yakushizuka Kofun   Saigen Jiro/Public Domain
The Hachiman-zuka Kofun and pottery replicas.   Mocchy/Public Domain
An ancient Japanese step pyramid.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In Japanese archaeology, the term kofun refers to ancient burial mounds typically dating between the third and seventh centuries. While it’s been estimated that there are over 160,000 kofun across Japan (with 700 in Tokyo alone), they’re often difficult to spot as most of them appear to be mere mounds of earth.

The burial mounds of the Hodota (or Hotoda) site in souther Gunma, on the other hand, are massive and impressive. These mounds were blanketed by thick layers of volcanic ash when the nearby Mount Haruna erupted in the sixth century, preserved and naturally concealed until their discovery in the 1800s.

Belonging to the type of kofun called zenpō-kōen-fun, all three Hodota burial mounds are keyhole-shaped and to a degree resemble Meso-American pyramids, if not nearly as huge as Teotihuacán or Chichén Itzá.

Futagoyama Kofun, the largest of the three, is about 108 meters (118 yards) in length and 10 meters (32.8 feet) in height. Yakushizuka Kofun, the second mound, is now part of Saikō-ji Temple, with only a small portion of it visible today. Hachiman-zuka Kofun was excavated with a huge hoard of roofing stones and haniwa, terracotta figurines unique to the Kofun period culture.

The haniwa is diverse in shapes and sizes, often depicting armored warriors and priestesses, horses and even houses, offering tangible snapshots of everyday life in early medieval Japan. Today, replicas of such figurines surround the Hodota complex en masse, some bearing shields as if to protect their king’s tomb, while the real finds from the site can be viewed at the adjacent Kamitsukeno-sato Museum of Archaeology.

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Burial Places Tombs Ancient

Know Before You Go

To get to the archaeological complex, first get to Takasaki Station (an hour or two away from central Tokyo). From the station, take a bus towards Shibukawa at Terminal 5 (every 30 minutes), get off at Mitsudera bus stop (a 30-40 minutes’ ride), and walk for 20 minutes.

While the site can be viewed 24/7, you may not be able to climb the mounds after dark. The Kamitsukeno-sato Museum of Archaeology is open every day except Tuesdays from 9:30 AM to 5 PM. Admission is 200 yen; photography is allowed as long as you don’t use flash.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

livingasnebulae

  • livingasnebulae

Published

July 7, 2020

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Sources
  • https://tabi-mag.jp/gu0220/
  • https://www.travel.co.jp/guide/article/21534/
  • http://www.uraken.net/rail/travel-urabe28.html
  • https://tabi-mag.jp/gu0220/
Hodota Burial Mounds
Takasaki, 370-3533
Japan
36.379566, 138.985993
Visit Website

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Photo of Takasaki

Takasaki

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