The First Great Chieftain's Tomb of Southern Katsuragi
The Miyayama Kofun (宮山古墳, Miyayama Kofun) is a keyhole-shaped burial mound of the middle Kofun period at Muro, Gose City, Nara Prefecture, which in 1921 was designated a Historic Site.
Gose City describes it at the northwest of the Koseyama hills, built in three tiers on an east-west axis after cutting through a spur to the west. It is 245 metres long, with a round rear mound 153 metres across and 24 metres high and a front section 170 metres wide and 21 metres high.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criterion for burial mounds. Locally it is also called the Muro Miyayama Kofun after its location, the name used on the Agency's photographs.
Burial Chambers and Finds
Gose City explains that the rear mound holds two pit-style stone chambers, north and south of the central axis, and that a burial in the front section is known from the many bronze mirrors found there.
The southern chamber is of crystalline schist laid end-on, roofed with Tatsuyama stone and wrapped entirely in clay about 20 centimetres thick. At its centre is a long, chest-shaped sarcophagus of dressed Tatsuyama stone, painted red all over. The city notes that fifth-century tombs with such sarcophagi are regarded as those of great kings. The northern chamber has not been excavated.
Double square rows of haniwa surrounded both burials, and five house-shaped figures were found along with quiver, shield and parasol haniwa and armour-shaped figures. Although looted, the southern chamber yielded more than ten fragments of mirrors, pieces of about one suit of leather-laced armour, iron swords and 623 steatite comma-shaped beads.
Why It Matters
Gose City identifies the Miyayama Kofun as the first great chieftain's tomb in southern Katsuragi. Its appearance in the early fifth century, at the turn from the early to the middle Kofun period, is thought to carry major political significance.
Its construction was followed by some 700 tombs of the Koseyama tomb group on the hills behind it. In fiscal 2021 Gose City adopted a plan to preserve and use the Miyayama Kofun and the Koseyama tomb group together.
Visiting the Miyayama Kofun
Gose City's tourism page gives the location as Muro, Gose, with no parking or toilets. The tree-covered mound can be seen from outside, and the Nekozuka Kofun, a square satellite tomb 70 metres on a side, adjoins its northern bank.
Some of the haniwa and other finds are on permanent display at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture. Enquiries go to the Gose City cultural properties section, 0745-60-1608.
Q&A
- When was the Miyayama Kofun designated?
- It was designated a Historic Site on 3 March 1921.
- How big is the Miyayama Kofun?
- According to Gose City, 245 metres long, with a rear mound 153 metres across and 24 metres high.
- What is the sarcophagus in the Miyayama Kofun like?
- A long, chest-shaped coffin of dressed Tatsuyama stone, painted red all over.
- Where can I see finds from the Miyayama Kofun?
- Some are on permanent display at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara.
- How is the Miyayama Kofun linked to the Koseyama tombs?
- Its construction was followed by about 700 tombs of the Koseyama group on the hills behind it.
Basic Information
| Name | Miyayama Kofun (宮山古墳) |
|---|---|
| Location | Muro, Gose City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 1921/3/3 (Taisho 10) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | Length 245 metres, rear mound 153 metres across and 24 metres high (Gose City) |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Viewable from outside; no parking or toilets |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Miyayama Kofun (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/1937
- Cultural Heritage Online: Miyayama Kofun (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/217029
- Gose City: Miyayama Kofun (Japanese)
- https://www.city.gose.nara.jp/kankou/0000001448.html
- Gose City: Preservation Plan for the Miyayama Kofun and Koseyama Tombs (Japanese)
- https://www.city.gose.nara.jp/0000003625.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28