Daisen-Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Osaka. Copyright © National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Upon first glance, you may feel as if you're viewing the portal to an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque world filled with giant keyholes, miniature doll houses, a psychedelic vegetal sanctuary, all surrounded by glowing green medieval moats. In many ways, that first impression is not far from truth! As this site profile will demonstrate, the Kofun tumulus of Japan's 16th Emperor, Nintoku, is a megalithic marvel of environmental accomplishment and expression of design and ritual.
Kofun, translated as "ancient grave" or "old mound," is also the name given to the period of Japanese history in which these tumuli were built by the thousands for rulers, clan leaders, and Japan's nobility class. From the 3rd century CE to the early 7th century CE, these mound tombs range in size from a modest few meters to hundreds of meters, and total above 161,000 across Japan. The one in the image above, called the Daisen Kofun and located in Osaka, is believed (though unconfirmed) to have been built for the 5th century Emperor, Nintoku. The largest Kofun in Japan, the tomb mound itself (the keyhole-shape) is 486 meters long, and the length of the perimeter of the compound is 840 meters long, or half a mile! If you look closely, you can see smaller Kofun surrounding the Daisen Kofun, noticeable by the dark clumps of trees and bright moats along the outsides of the sites.
Excavations of the central tomb mound revealed the Emperor's grave covered by earth and stones now reclaimed by nature. Inside the tomb, befitting of a ruler, were grave goods including weapons, tools, accoutrements for horses, miniature people and animal figurines, and the stone casket of the Emperor himself. Excavations of other high-profile Kofun tumuli have revealed interior walls decorated with scenes of men, horses, constellations, and beautiful women. It's easy to see the influence of Chinese burial culture here--think of the objects and ceramic figures discovered inside the tomb of the Qin Emperor (although not on the same scale!).
"Asuka Beauties" found painted on the interior walls of the Takamatsuzuka Kofun. Image: Agency for Cultural Affairs and Heritage of Japan.
The exterior of the tomb mounds has revealed objects of equal artistic quality and art historical interest as the interior grave goods, namely the haniwa figures. Originating as simple, hollow ceramic cylinders used as posts in a retaining wall around the tomb mound, haniwa grew increasing elaborate and were eventually topped with ceramic figurines atop the hollow post. These figurines were the work of expressive ceramicists; warriors, horses, dancers, monkeys, houses, working women, and shamans of all shapes and sizes...these haniwa figures displayed aspects of life in Kofun Japan and ringed the tomb of important political persons.
While we may assume that haniwa were placed around Kofun to protect the spirit of the dead from would-be grave robbers and tomb intruders, some suggest that their purpose is also to protect the living from the spirits of the deceased, known as kami. Similar objects have been found in Silla kingdom (Korean) tombs dating to the same period, and figurines found in Egyptian burials are thought to have served the same purpose. Today, these ceramic figures can be seen in museums across the world, from Japan to San Francisco to Brooklyn and Britain. Haniwa are true works of artistic expression and insight into Japanese life in the Kofun period.
Haniwa animals, 6th century (Kofun period), Japan, terracotta (Tokyo National Museum). Image: Steven Zucker, Smarthistory co-founder. Flickr.
Today, the Imperial Household Agency of Japan serves as the custodian of Emperor Ninkotu's Kofun, which prohibits tourism or visitations inside the tomb complex. However, visitors can view the site from a viewing platform of the middle moat (there are three altogether), and the Sakai City Museum, conveniently located across the street, teaches about the history of the Kofun and the grave goods found within. The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun group, of which the Daisen Kofun of Emperor Ninkotu is included, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Between the mystical wooden and moated landscape surrounding the Kofun, the precious ceramic figures protecting it, and the incredibly paintings entombed within, the Daisen-Kofun is a must-add to any archaeology lover’s travel list and is definitely #afterlifegoals. While we all anxiously await a return to safe travel, we might as well draw inspiration from the Emperor’s ultimate afterlife setup and turn our own spaces into more lush, artistic masterpieces. If only it was feasible to surround a New York apartment with a moat—that’s a surefire way to enforce social distancing!
Comments