Haniwa Excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1, Mie Prefecture

The Great Haniwa Ship of Matsusaka

The Haniwa Excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1, Mie Prefecture (三重県宝塚１号墳出土埴輪) is haniwa of the middle Kofun period excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1 in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, which in 2024 were designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records one set owned by Matsusaka City, first designated an Important Cultural Property in 2006.

According to the Agency, the tomb is a keyhole mound 111 metres long, thought to have been built in the early fifth century.

The Haniwa

According to the Agency, the ship, enclosure and house haniwa were set mainly on and around an island-like projecting platform. The ship is a large haniwa 140 centimetres long and 94 centimetres high, a rare example with about 90 per cent surviving.

It realistically models a large Kofun-period vessel, a dugout with added side planks and end boards, with a bold upright bow and stern, heart-shaped bulkheads with fin decorations and incised patterns throughout.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that the ship was found with its bow facing the tomb, as if it had just arrived, carrying upright ornaments of a sword, staff of authority and parasol symbolising royal power; one theory sees it as a funeral ship bearing the king's soul.

Three enclosure haniwa pair with gabled house haniwa whose floors and interiors show water channels and a well, thought to model walled sites for water rituals; the Agency calls them indispensable for reconstructing such rites.

Visiting the Haniwa Excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1, Mie Prefecture

The haniwa are owned by Matsusaka City and kept at the Matsusaka City Cultural Properties Center; check the centre for display information.