Eight Tombs, Designated by the State in 1922
Yame Tumulus Group (Noriba, Sekijinsan, Iwatoyama, Zenzozuka, Kokkadani, Maruyamazuka, Maruyama and Chausuzuka Tumuli) lies across Yame City, Hirokawa Town and Chikugo City in Fukuoka Prefecture, and was designated by the state on 8 March 1922. The category is that of historic sites, places of scenic beauty and natural monuments.
Eight tombs are named in the designation.
The managing bodies are Yame City and Hirokawa Town, appointed five times over between 1922 and 1977.
Separate Designations Gathered Into One
Tombs designated one by one were later replaced by a single designation.
The Agency records that 5 had already been designated: 4 keyhole-shaped tombs and 1 round tomb.
It continues that 3 more were then added, that what had been designated individually was consolidated, and that the whole was designated together under the name of the Yame group, so as to protect them.
Five came first; 3 were added to make 8; and the name itself was recast to cover the group.
At Rumoi, equipment and fishing ground carry separate designations of different kinds. There the subjects differ.
Here the same subjects were recast from individual designations into one. The unit of designation itself changed.
A Record Written in Two Manners
The commentary changes its manner of writing partway through.
The first part is in the old written language, in the script used for official documents of the time.
It gives the mound as built in 2 tiers, about 370 shaku along its long axis, the round part about 174 shaku across and the front part about 186 shaku wide. Measurements are in shaku.
The second part is in modern prose: a keyhole-shaped tomb on the terrace, its mound about 145 metres along the main axis and grand in scale. Here the measure is the metre.
The wording of the 1922 designation and that of the 1977 consolidation stand side by side as they were written.
At the Tatsumi canal, one word in the name marks what is attached to the principal subject. Here the layers of the record show in its very style.
Stone Figures of Men and Horses
Stone carved into human and animal form comes from the mounds.
The Agency records an armed stone figure standing before the round part, now sheltered under a small structure built over it.
It continues that many stone figures, stone horses, stone shields and stone jars were found within the mound.
From a square platform beside the outer bank on the north-east came the head of a stone boar, a stone figure, and haniwa of various forms.
The record notes that the stone figures on this mound had long been famous.
It adds that the lid of the coffin was found carved with a curved-and-straight pattern and painted in red, and calls that decoration rare as well. Both the figures and the coffin are set down.
Visiting
The tombs lie across Yame City, Hirokawa Town and Chikugo City in Fukuoka Prefecture: three municipalities in all.
The Agency records keyhole-shaped tombs and about 60 round tombs along some 2 to 3 kilometres of ridge, east to west. Eight are designated; the group as a whole takes in those 60 round tombs.
Of the Noriba tomb, the record gives patterns painted in 3 colours, red, white and green, on the walls of the chamber in the round part.
The record calls this the best known tomb group in Kyushu, and notes that a connection with the family of a local chieftain has been considered.
These are open-air sites, and whether and how they may be visited follows the managing bodies' arrangements. Check before travelling.
Q&A
- When was the group designated?
- On 8 March 1922, by the state. The category is that of historic sites, places of scenic beauty and natural monuments.
- How many tombs does it cover?
- Eight are named in the designation: Noriba, Sekijinsan, Iwatoyama, Zenzozuka, Kokkadani, Maruyamazuka, Maruyama and Chausuzuka.
- Why one designation rather than many?
- Three tombs were added to five already designated, what had been designated individually was consolidated, and the whole was designated together under the group name.
- What are the stone figures?
- Stone carved into human form. An armed figure stands before the round part, and stone figures, horses, shields and jars were found within the mound.
- How far do they extend?
- Along some 2 to 3 kilometres of ridge, east to west, with keyhole-shaped tombs and about 60 round tombs.
Basic Information
| Name | Yame Tumulus Group (Noriba, Sekijinsan, Iwatoyama, Zenzozuka, Kokkadani, Maruyamazuka, Maruyama and Chausuzuka Tumuli) |
|---|---|
| Location | Yame City, Hirokawa Town and Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic site, place of scenic beauty and natural monument; designated as archaeological sites rather than as buildings or works of art; 3 tombs were added to 5 already designated and the whole consolidated into one designation |
| Year Designated | 1922 (8 March), designated |
| Quantity | 8 tombs; the group as a whole comprises keyhole-shaped tombs and about 60 round tombs |
| Dimensions | The Iwatoyama tomb has a mound about 145 metres along the main axis. The Sekijinsan tomb is built in 2 tiers, about 370 shaku along its long axis, the round part about 174 shaku across and the front part about 186 shaku wide. The group extends along some 2 to 3 kilometres of ridge, east to west |
| Owner | Managed by Yame City and Hirokawa Town, appointed five times over between 1922 and 1977 |
| Public Access | Open-air sites; visiting follows the managing bodies' arrangements |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online: the Yame tumulus group
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/163941
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/
- Yame City: the Iwatoyama museum
- https://www.city.yame.fukuoka.jp/iwatoyama/index.html
- Hirokawa Town: cultural properties
- https://www.town.hirokawa.fukuoka.jp/soshiki/kyoikuiinkai_jimukyoku/5/3/6/1/1148.html
Last verified: 2026.09.17