Furuichi Kofun Cluster



Furuichi kofungun (古市古墳群) is a group of Kofun period burial mounds located in the cities of Fujiidera and Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Twelve of the tumuli in this group were individually designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1956, with an additional 14 collectively added to the designation in 2001, and the area under protection expanded in 2018.

Overview
The Furuichi Kofun Cluster extends over an area of 2.5 kilometers north-to-south by four kilometers east-to-west, covering plateaus and hill with an average elevation of 24 meters above sea level. These tumuli were built between the late 4th and the mid-sixth century AD. Twenty-seven, including many of the larger tumuli, are under the control of the Imperial Household Agency and are classified as "imperial tombs", for which archaeological excavation has been prohibited.

In 2010 the Furuichi kofungun cluster of tumuli, along with those of Mozu kofungun, were proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On 6 July 2019, Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under Criteria: (iii), (iv).

Decline of The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group
After the Ichinoyama Kofun, the era of grand tomb groups began to decline. Though a few large tombs were still erected, like the Okamisanzai Kofun, the frequency and size began to diminish. The Kawachi Otsukayama Kofun is an outlier, situated between the Mozu and Furuichi Kofun Groups, was built, measuring a staggering 355 meters in length. Its construction during this period remains a mystery, calling for further research and analysis.

As the Furuichi Kofun Group progressed past its prime, the center of tomb construction transitioned to locations such as Shinagadani (also referred to as Kawachi-Asuka), near present-day Taishi Town. The primary locus for tombs in the Kawachi region shifted from Mozu and Furuichi to areas like Shinaga.

Types

 * zenpō-kōen-fun (前方後円墳) ("keyhole-shaped) : formerly 31, 26 survive
 * empun (円墳) ("circular"): formerly 30, 5 survive
 * hōfun (方墳) ("square"): formerly 48, 22 survive
 * indeterminate: formerly 14, 34 survive

Total: formerly 123, 87 survive

Gallery
The Mozu kofungun is located about 10 kilometers to the west. It can be said that it was. The Furuichi Kofun group is seven to fifteen minutes on foot from Domyoji Station or Furuichi Station on the Kintetsu Railway.