Sakitama Kofun Group
The Saitama Kofun Group is a collection of ancient burial mounds located in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, approximately 60 kilometers north of Tokyo. This archaeological site preserves nine large kofun built during the 6th and 7th centuries, representing the final flowering of the kofun period in eastern Japan. The most impressive is Maruhakayama Kofun, a keyhole-shaped mound measuring 105 meters in length, which ranks among the largest kofun in the Kanto region.
These burial mounds served as tombs for powerful local rulers who controlled the fertile plains of what is now Saitama Prefecture. The scale and construction of these earthen structures demonstrate the significant political influence wielded by the region's ancient elite during a time when centralized power was consolidating in Japan. The site provides crucial evidence of early Japanese state formation and regional power dynamics during the transition from the Kofun to the Asuka period.
Visitors can walk among the massive grass-covered mounds via paved pathways that wind through Sakitama Kofun Park, which encompasses the entire archaeological zone. The Saitama Prefectural Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds stands within the park and displays artifacts excavated from the tombs, including the famous gold-inscribed iron sword discovered in Inariyama Kofun. This sword bears one of the earliest known examples of Chinese characters used in Japan, making it a designated National Treasure. Several kofun are accessible for close inspection, allowing visitors to appreciate their enormous scale and distinctive keyhole shapes from ground level.
The site is accessible from Gyoda Station on the JR Takasaki Line or Gyoda-shi Station on the Chichibu Railway, both requiring approximately 15 minutes by bus or taxi to reach the park. Direct buses operate from the stations on weekends and holidays. Entry to the park grounds is free, while the museum charges an admission fee of 200 yen for adults.
