Nanakoshiyama Kofun, Fujioka

Sorry for the sudden question, but do you think that all keyhole-shaped tumuli are the same shape, even though they may vary in size? That's not true. In fact, just like fashion, shapes go through trends and outdated styles (lol). Shichikoshiyama Kofun, which appeared at the end of the Kofun period in the first half of the 6th century, had an avant-garde shape that was the first of its kind in this region, and it showed off to the surrounding powerful clans that it was a "fashionable keyhole-shaped tumulus" (lol) imported directly from the central government. What exactly is different? It's actually the balance between the front and rear circular sections that's completely different. Right nearby is Shiraishi Inariyama Kofun, a keyhole-shaped tumulus built a century earlier and roughly the same size at about 150m, so let's take a look at the difference in proportions. First of all, Shichikoshiyama Kofun has a small face, deep carvings, and a sleek style. (lol) Specifically, the circular section is smaller than the square section, and the mound is higher. Numerically, the circular section is 87m wide and the square section is 106m wide, making the square section wider, and at 16m high, it's the same height as the circular section. On the other hand, the Shiraishi Inariyama Tomb, the model from 100 years ago, has a larger face with a circular section 92m wide and a square section 86m wide, and a shorter nose with a circular section 13.5m high and a square section 8.5m high. The newer the keyhole-shaped tomb, the larger the square section tends to be, and Shichikoshiyama Tomb is the ultimate example of this. To eyes accustomed to the keyhole-shaped tombs that came before, it must have seemed strange. The source of this trend is the Haji Nisanzai Tomb, believed to be the tomb of the Great King, located in the Mozu Tomb Group in Osaka. It is a huge tomb with a mound length of over 300m, but what's interesting is that Shichikoshiyama Tomb is not just "similar," but is an exact replica. This isn't just a case of imitating something you see and thinking, "It seems like this kind of shape is popular in the city..." The deceased of Shichikoshiyama Kofun holds a thick pipe in the center, suggesting that blueprints were provided and engineers were dispatched. The scale is half to match the national power, but I imagine the deceased was proud of the state-of-the-art style and boasted to those around them (lol). It's only about a 10-minute walk, so be sure to visit both the Shiraishi Inariyama Kofun and the Shiraishi Inariyama Kofun to enjoy the difference in their shapes.

According to the Fujioka History Museum pamphlet, Nanakoshiyama Kofun is a keyhole-shaped burial mound built in the first half of the 6th century, and is one of the largest burial mounds built in eastern Japan during the 6th century. Furthermore, a ground-penetrating radar survey conducted in 2018 revealed that the mound is approximately 150m long, and that a horizontal stone chamber nearly 20m long exists in the circular rear section, making it one of the largest burial mounds with a horizontal stone chamber in eastern Japan. In addition, the cylindrical haniwa (clay figures) unearthed in past excavations are extremely large, exceeding 40cm in diameter and 1m in height. Such large cylindrical haniwa with multiple protruding bands are rare, found only in a limited number of burial mounds in Gunma Prefecture. This is the second keyhole-shaped burial mound I've seen, following the Shiraishi Inariyama Kofun I saw earlier. This one is covered in trees, so you really can't appreciate its keyhole shape unless you see it from above. The Shiraishi Inariyama Kofun (ancient burial mound) appears to have been built on a hill, but this one is built on flat ground, making it feel even larger. It's mind-boggling to think that this was built by human power alone. It must have required a large population and a prosperous country. I wonder if they were paid wages. What kind of lives did the people of that time lead? Although this area was also overgrown with weeds, I was able to follow the footprints and reach the top of the burial mound. However, it's covered in trees, so while it's quite high, the view isn't particularly good, and you can't really tell it's shaped like a keyhole from here.

I visited Shichikoshiyama Kofun, featured on the TV program "Kofun no Jidai," because the cherry blossoms were so beautiful. 🌸 This kofun is the largest and tallest I've ever visited. ★I've only ever seen Tenjinyama Kofun, the largest in eastern Japan, from the road in my hometown of Ota City, so I'd like to visit it by mountain bike someday. There were more cherry blossom-viewing visitors than I expected, and the cherry blossoms were near full bloom, so I was lucky to visit!♪ [Reference] Gunma Prefecture is home to many gigantic keyhole-shaped tombs, some even surpassing those in the Kinai region. Shichikoshiyama Kofun in Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, is said to be the burial site of Kamitsukeno no Okuma, a powerful local clan leader from the early 6th century.

There's a parking lot at the Shichikoshi Gate, and although it's close, I thought it was the temple's parking lot, so I parked at the Fujioka History Museum and walked there. ^^; The tumulus isn't designed so that you can walk around it in one go, so you end up returning the same way. There are a row of headless Jizo statues (?) near the entrance, and a headless Kannon statue (?) at the top of the mountain. It might be a little scary to go alone. I'd like to go during cherry blossom season.