Makimuku Ishizuka Kofun

Makimuku Ishizuka Kofun is a Kofun found on the premises of Makimuku ruins. It is a keyhole shaped Kofun. It is a Kofun of Makimuku ruins.

During WWII it was flattened to use as a site for an Anti-aircraft cannon. '

The Makimuku Ishizuka Tomb is a Zenpokoenfun and one of the most prominent tombs of its time.

The Makimuku Ishizuka Tomb is 92 meters long. It dates back to the time of Himiko, who led the Yamatai kingdom in Japan. Himiko made connections with the Wei court in China. She was important in changing Japanese religious and ritual practices.

It is dated to around 180CE, with the nearby Makimuku Katsuyama Kofun being dated to around 200AD.

It was the first Kofun excavated from Makimuku ruins, and was where some of the earliest Haji pottery was found.

Religious significance
Archaeological evidence indicates rituals were performed in the tomb. Wooden pillars 20 cm in diameter were erected within its moats. Wooden roosters painted in vermilion lacquer were discovered in the moat surrounding the mound's circular section. The bird carving is 39 centimeters long. Historians and archaeologists believe these roosters might have been part of ceremonies aimed at praying for the resurrection of the deceased. Similar wooden and clay figures resembling roosters have been found in other early Kofun period tombs. Roosters are the animal messengers of Amaterasu.

The birds may symbolize the soul's journey. These items were found in peat at the Ikegami-sone site in Izumi City, Osaka. The Yamato-takeru story mentions a white bird flying between tombs. This story relates to the found items. It shows ancient beliefs about life and the soul.

The tomb faces Mount Miwa, a sacred mountain. The Kojiki, says the god Ōmononushi wanted people to worship him on this mountain. There is a complex narrative about Emperor Sujin and the establishment of worship in the region. with some interpreting the god as being Yamato-no-Okunitama one of the two gods previously worshipped in the Imperial palace alongside Amaterasu. The tomb's direction shows that the Makimuku area's rulers and people respected Mount Miwa deeply. Buildings at the Makimuku site also face Mount Miwa on purpose. This shows their religious link to the mountain.