Outstanding Universal Value of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

RouranLocation of the Mozu-Furuichi
Kofun Group

The time of kofun construction

Gateway for interaction with other powers of East Asia

Criterion (iii)

Criterion (iv)

While 160,000 kofun are found throughout Japan, the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group
represent and provide exceptional testimony to the culture of the Kofun period of-DSDQ·VDQFLHQWKLVWRU\7KHFRPSRQHQWVGHPRQVWUDWHWKHSHULRG·VVRFLRSROLWLFDO
structures, social class differences and highly sophisticated funerary system.

The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group demonstrates an outstanding type of ancient East
Asian burial mound construction. The role of the kofun in the establishment of social
hierarchies within this particular and significant historical period, as well as thetangible attributes such as the clay sculptures, moats and geometric terraced mounds
reinforced by stone, are outstanding.

Horyu-ji Temple

Goguryeo

Against the backdrop of a divided Chinese court, East Asia witnessed thegrowth of the Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla and Gaya kingdoms on the Korean
peninsula and Wa in the Japanese archipelago during the period correspondingWR-DSDQ·V.RIXQSHULRG,WZDVDWLPHRIWXUEXOHQFHIRUWKHUHJLRQZLWKYDULRXV
kingly powers engaged in repeated conflicts and coalition-forming.

Nouthern Wei(Northern Dynasty)

The Osaka Plain, on which the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group is located, served
as a gateway for interaction with the powers of the Korean peninsula andChina, and was a leading center of politics and culture in ancient Japan.

Song(Southern Dynasty)

The formation and development ofan ancient kingly power
BaekjeSillaGayaWa

Mozu-Furuichi
Kofun Group

Preceded by the Jomon period based on hunting andgathering, and the Yayoi period when wet-rice agriculture
was introduced, the Kofun period witnessed the growth ofvarious forces throughout the archipelago and the formationof political alliances between them. Dating to just before thefull-scale introduction of a ruling system and new religion(Buddhism) from the Asian continent, it was a distinctive
historical stage during which power was symbolized throughmounded tombs.

Sannai-maruyama Site

Statues of
Shakyamuni triadsClay figure

Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido
and Northern Tohoku (on the World Heritage List)
Jomon

Yayoi Period

B.C. A.D.

100

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
(on the World Heritage List)
Asuka
PeriodKofun Period

200

300

400

500

Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

600

Nara
Heian
Period Period

700

800

900

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara(on the World Heritage List)
Kasuga-taisha
Shrinethe Great
BuddhaThree attributes of Japan’s unique and characteristic kofun
Attribute a)

Attribute b)

Attribute c)

A wide range of types of mounded tombs grouped together

Four standardized plan types

Evidence of elaborate and distinctive funerary rituals

Densely concentrated in two areas, the mounded tombs of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group show a wide variation of shape and size,
from the largest keyhole-shaped kofun measuring almost 500 meters long to others as small as 20 meters. They most clearly
demonstrate the distinct feature of the kofun built in the Japanese archipelago: mounded tombs differing in shape and size were built
in the same region during the same time period.

The mounded tombs of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group come in four plan types: keyhole shape, scallop
shape, round and square. They are the standardized kofun shapes, which served as models for local kofun
constructed across the archipelago. In other words, the kofun group played the leading role in developing
the design and construction technologies required to build them.

A burial facility was dug into the top of the mound of each kofun, and haniwa (earthenware funerary sculptures) and paving stones
were placed along the mound surface. The fact that funerary rituals took place on the mound and that the mound was made to be a
glorious platform were major features of the kofun of the Japanese archipelago. The tombs of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group
clearly demonstrate this.

Mozu area
Keyhole shape
Scallop shape
Round
Square1 Hanzei-tenno-ryo Kofun
2 Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun(2-1)
Chayama Kofun(2-2)
Daianjiyama Kofun(2-3)
3 Nagayama Kofun
4 Genemonyama Kofun
5 Tsukamawari Kofun
6 Osamezuka Kofun
7 Magodayuyama Kofun
8 Tatsusayama Kofun
9 Dogameyama Kofun
10 Komoyamazuka Kofun
11 Maruhoyama Kofun
12 Nagatsuka Kofun
13 Hatazuka Kofun
14 Zenizuka Kofun
15 Richu-tenno-ryo Kofun
16 Terayama-minamiyama Kofun
17 Shichikannon Kofun
18 Itasuke Kofun
19 Zenemonyama Kofun
20 Gobyoyama Kofun
21 Nisanzai Kofun

1

٘*UD\FRORUHGNRIXQLVQRW
component parts.

32-2

11
10

Furuichi area

22 Tsudo-shiroyama Kofun
23 Chuai-tenno-ryo Kofun
24 Hachizuka Kofun
25 Ingyo-tenno-ryo Kofun
26 Nakatsuhime-no-mikoto-ryoKofun
27 Nabezuka Kofun
28 Suketayama Kofun
29 Nakayamazuka Kofun
30 Yashimazuka Kofun
31 Komuroyama Kofun
32 Otorizuka Kofun
33 Ojin-tenno-ryo Kofun(33-1)
Konda-maruyama Kofun(33-2)
Futatsuzuka Kofun(33-3)

22400m3124
3233-22381218(No. 26 Nakatsuhime-no-mikoto-ryo Kofun, airborne LIDAR survey-based
relief map)

Nakatsuhime-nomikoto-ryo Kofun（No. 26）

28

33-1

37

Gobyoyama
Kofun

Burial facility

Round and square-shaped mounds are common in East Asia; in contrast, the mounded tombsof the Japanese archipelago have distinctive shapes.

35

An extraordinarily large
cylindrical haniwa

Waterfowl-shaped haniwa suggestingancient people’s views on life and death

Helmet-shaped haniwa

House-shaped haniwa considered tobe the origin of shrine architecture(No. 22 Tsudo-shiroyama Kofun)

Nagatsuka Kofun(No. 22 Tsudo-shiroyama Kofun)

Unearthed large stone coffin（No. 12）(No. 22 Tsudo-shiroyama Kofun)

100m

Hatazuka Kofun Genemonyama（No. 13）
Kofun

4041

43200mMajor shapes of burial mounds in East Asia

200m

39380（No. 20）3642(No. 20 Gobyoyama Kofun)

302019Cylindrical haniwa to decorate themoundNintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun(5c AD: 486m)

The Goryeong
Jisandong
Daegaya Tumuli(5c AD: 49m)

Elaborate three-dimensional earthen structure300m

2933-33461415（No. 15）26

513

Richu-tenno-ryo Kofun

272-1

1716

Mausoleum ofthe First Qin Emperor(3c BC: 350m)（No. 33-1）

47（No. 2-1）

25

The burial facility (a stone chamber and coffin)
was built into the top of the mound after
construction had completed, and the moundsurface was decorated with numerous cylindricalhaniwa and paving stones.

Complex of Koguryo Tombs(4-5c AD: 50m)
Gyeongju
Baekje Historic Areas
Historic Areas(6c AD: 20m)
(5c AD: 129m)

Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun

Ojin-tenno-ryo Kofun

2-3

9

Ornamented mound at the time ofconstruction and the burial facility

34 Higashiumazuka Kofun
35 Kurizuka Kofun
36 Higashiyama Kofun
37 Hazamiyama Kofun
38 Hakayama Kofun
39 Nonaka Kofun
40 Mukohakayama Kofun
41 Nishiumazuka Kofun
42 Joganjiyama Kofun
43 Aoyama Kofun
44 Minegazuka Kofun
45 Hakuchoryo Kofun（No. 4）50m

SuketayamaKofun

Iron armor（No. 28）(No. 39 Nonaka Kofun, Photo:Osaka University Departmentof Archaeology)

40m
30m
20m

211km

10m

0m

441km

45

Keyhole-shaped kofun

Scallopshaped kofun

Roundkofun

Squarekofun

A large amount of unearthed armor(No. 39 Nonaka Kofun, Photo: Osaka University
Department of Archaeology)

Metal ornament testifying tointeraction within East Asia
(No. 44 Minegazuka Kofun)(No. 18 Itasuke Kofun)(No. 20 Gobyoyama Kofun,Photo: Imperial Household Agency)