Akamonue Kofun
Encyclopedia
is a keyhole-shaped kofun
burial mound located in the Uchino district of Hamakita-ku
, Hamamatsu
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Japan
. It is protected by the prefectural government as a national historic site.
Located on the eastern edge of the Mikatahara plains and near the Tenryū River
, the Akamonue Kofun is only one of several kofun in the same district. It takes its name from the red gate of a nearby Buddhist temple, which was built at a much later date. The name or rank of the person buried in the tomb, which dates from the latter half of the 4th century is unknown.
The kofun was excavated in the summer of 1961 by a team of students from the Shizuoka Prefectural Hamana High School under the direction of the Hamamatsu City Cultural Affairs Department. The team soon found evidence that the kofun had been plundered at some unknown time in the past, and that a portion had been used as an air raid shelter in World War II
.
The total length of the kofun is 56.3 meters. The round portion has a circumference of 36.2 meters and a height of 4.9 meters. The rectangular portion had a length of 14.7 meters and height of 1.15 meters. Within the burial chamber, a 5.58 meter long hinoki sarcophagus
containing numerous funerary objects was discovered. Artifacts included bits of armor and weapons, and most notably, an ancient bronze mirror.
Kofun
Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
burial mound located in the Uchino district of Hamakita-ku
Hamakita-ku, Hamamatsu
is one of the seven wards of the city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is bordered by Tenryū-ku, Higashi-ku and Naka-ku and the city of Iwata. The Tenryū River and the Akaishi Mountains form natural boundaries for the ward...
, Hamamatsu
Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. On July 1, 2005, the city merged with 11 surrounding cities and towns. It became a city designated by government ordinance on April 1, 2007.- History :...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is protected by the prefectural government as a national historic site.
Located on the eastern edge of the Mikatahara plains and near the Tenryū River
Tenryu River
The is a river arising from Lake Suwa in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, grazing Aichi Prefecture and flowing through western Shizuoka Prefecture in central Honshū, Japan. With a length of , it is Japan's ninth longest river.-Geography:...
, the Akamonue Kofun is only one of several kofun in the same district. It takes its name from the red gate of a nearby Buddhist temple, which was built at a much later date. The name or rank of the person buried in the tomb, which dates from the latter half of the 4th century is unknown.
The kofun was excavated in the summer of 1961 by a team of students from the Shizuoka Prefectural Hamana High School under the direction of the Hamamatsu City Cultural Affairs Department. The team soon found evidence that the kofun had been plundered at some unknown time in the past, and that a portion had been used as an air raid shelter in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The total length of the kofun is 56.3 meters. The round portion has a circumference of 36.2 meters and a height of 4.9 meters. The rectangular portion had a length of 14.7 meters and height of 1.15 meters. Within the burial chamber, a 5.58 meter long hinoki sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
containing numerous funerary objects was discovered. Artifacts included bits of armor and weapons, and most notably, an ancient bronze mirror.