Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs: Burials from Yayoi to Early Kofun in the Kaya Valley
The Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs (日吉ヶ丘・明石墳墓群) are a group of burials dating from the Middle Yayoi to the Early Kofun period in the Kaya Valley, Yosano Town (then Kaya Town), Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture, and were designated a national Historic Site in 2005.
The site lies south of the Tango Peninsula in the Kaya Valley basin, enclosed by mountains on three sides. Many burials and tombs of the same age surround it, including the Ebisuyama and Tsukuriyama tombs, both Historic Sites. The designation date is 14 July 2005.
In 1999, Kaya Town's Board of Education surveyed the Hiyoshigaoka area ahead of building public housing and found a large Middle Yayoi rectangular burial mound faced with stones. The town decided to preserve it, and from 2002 excavations explored the surrounding burials.
Why It Is Protected
The stone-faced rectangular mound at Hiyoshigaoka sits at the end of a ridge about 20 metres above sea level on the east bank of the Noda River. It measures about 32 metres by 20 metres and still stands more than 2 metres above the bottom of its ditch, with flat stones set into the upper slopes. Such mounds are known from Iwami, Izumo and Tango, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls this the largest found so far.
A single assembled wooden coffin lay slightly south of centre, and more than 670 tube beads and red pigment were found where the head is thought to have been. The pottery dates it to the middle of the Middle Yayoi period.
The Akashi area on the hills behind, 40 to 96 metres above sea level, holds 28 burials from the end of the Late Yayoi to the first half of the Early Kofun. At the end of the Late Yayoi, platform burials about 10 metres square were built one after another along the ridge, giving it a stepped look. In the Shonai phase, mounds around 20 metres across and groups of pit graves appeared, showing growing differences in status. The agency regards the Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs as a typical Tango burial group of the period and important for understanding the society of the region.
What to Look For
The Hiyoshigaoka mound is taken as a sign that a powerful group had emerged here. On site, picture the size of a rectangular mound at the end of the ridge and its stone-faced slopes as you read the landscape.
At Akashi, pottery and clay miniatures used in funeral rites have been found. Clay miniatures occur at keyhole tombs from the Kanto region westward, and the agency highlights these as the oldest examples. The group also shows local burial customs from the Yayoi period continuing into the Kofun period.
Visiting
The Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs are in the Kaya Valley, Yosano Town. No official information on public access, site preparation or fees could be found.
The hillside sites and their surroundings may include private land. Contact the Yosano Town Board of Education in advance to confirm which areas may be entered.
Q&A
- When were the Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs built?
- Between the Middle Yayoi and the Early Kofun period.
- How big is the Hiyoshigaoka stone-faced mound?
- About 32 metres by 20 metres, the largest of its kind found so far.
- When were the Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs designated a Historic Site?
- On 14 July 2005.
- What was found in the Akashi area?
- 28 burials from the end of the Late Yayoi to the Early Kofun, including stepped platform burials along the ridge.
- Can I visit the Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs?
- No official visiting information was found. Contact the Yosano Town Board of Education in advance.
Basic Information
| Name | Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs |
|---|---|
| Location | Yosano Town (then Kaya Town), Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 2005/07/14 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | Burial group (Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi areas) |
| Dimensions | Hiyoshigaoka stone-faced mound about 32 m by 20 m |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No visiting information. Check with the Yosano Town Board of Education |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/00003457
- Cultural Heritage Online: Hiyoshigaoka and Akashi Tombs
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/140447
Last verified: 2026.09.27