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 (middle 3rd century - early-middle 6th century). Most of the Kofun have a keyhole-shaped mound (zenpo-koenfun), unique to ancient Japan.Layout
The kofun tumuli have taken various shapes through history. The most common type of kofun is known as a zempō-kōen-fun , which has a shape of a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when looked down upon from above. There are also circular type (empun), "two conjoined rectangles" type (zempō-kōhō-fun), and square type (hōfun) kofun. Orientation of kofun is not specified. For example, in the Saki Kofun group, all of circular parts are looking toward the north, but there is no such formation in the Yanagimoto kofun group. Haniwa, terracotta figures were arrayed above and in the surroundings to delimit and protect the sacred area.
Kofun range in size from several meters to over 400m in length. The largest kofun is Daisen kofun in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, which has been attributed to be the tomb of the Emperor Nintoku.
The funeral chamber was located beneath the round part and consisted of a group of megaliths. In 1972, the unlooted Takamatsuzuka Tomb was found in Asuka and some details of the discovery were revealed. Inside the tightly assembled rocks, white lime cement plasters were pasted and colored pictures drawn depicting the court or constellations. A stone coffin was placed in the chamber and accessories, swords and bronze mirrors were laid both inside and outside of the coffin.
Development history
Yayoi period
Most of the tombs of chiefs in the Yayoi period were square-shaped mounds surrounded by ditches. The most notable example in the late Yayoi period is Tatetsuki Mound Tomb in Kurashiki, Okayama. The mound is about 45 meters wide and 5 meters high, has a shaft chamber. Broken pieces of Tokushu-kidai, cylindrical earthenwares were excavated around the mound.
Another prevailing type of Yayoi period tombs is Yosumi tosshutsugata funkyûbo, square mounds whose four corners protruding outward. These tombs were built in the San'in region, coastal area of the Sea of Japan. Unearthed articles indicate the existence of alliances between native tribes in the region.
Early Kofun period
One of the first keyhole-shaped kofun was built in the Makimuku area, the southeastern part of the Nara Basin. Hashihaka Kofun, which was built in the middle of the 3rd century, is 280 meters long and 30 meters high. Its scale is obviously different from previous Yayoi tombs. During the next three decades, about 10 kofun were built in the area, which are now called as the Makimuku Kofun Group. A wooden coffin placed on the bottom of a shaft, and the surrounding walls were built up by flat stones. Finally megalithic stones placed as a roof. Bronze mirrors, iron swords, magatama, clay vessels and other artifacts were found in good condition in undisturbed tombs. Some scholars assume the buried person of Hashihaka kofun was the shadowy ancient Queen Himiko of Yamataikoku, mentioned in the Chinese history texts. According to the books, Japan was called Wa, which was the confederation formed by numerous small tribes or countries. The construction of gigantic kofun is the result of the relatively centralized governance structure in the Nara Basin, possibly the origin of the Yamato polity and the Imperial linage of Japan.
Mid-Kofun period
The trend of keyhole kofun first spread from Yamato Province to Kawachi, where gigantic kofun such as Daisen Kofun of the Emperor Nintoku were built, and then throughout the country (except for the Tōhoku region) in the 5th century. The spreading of keyhole kofun is generally assumed to be evidence of the Yamato court's expansion in this age. However, some argue that it simply shows the spreading of culture based on progress in distribution, and has little to do with political breakthrough. In recent years, as South Korea became more affluent after years of war and hardship, they started to allocate more resources into archeology and keyhole tombs were found in areas of ancient Gaya confederacy. These keyhole tombs discovered so far on the Korean peninsula were built from the 5th to the 6th century. Whether the Gaya keyhole tomb was due to a local chieftain influenced by Japanese culture or for a Japanese immigrant is debated "Still now, many Korean and Japanese scholars have concentrated on the issue of who are the owners of the keyhole-shaped tombs in Korean peninsula."
Keyhole-shaped kofun disappeared in late 6th century, probably because of the drastic reformation in the Yamato court, where Nihon Shoki records the introduction of Buddhism during this era.
Recent research
The Imperial Household Agency designates 740 kofun as the tomb of ancient imperial family members and their relatives, although the accuracy of the designation has been disputed. These kofun are not open to the public, including archaeologists. Academic societies repeatedly petitioned for archaeological surveys of kofun for years, and in March 2008 the Agency permitted limited investigation of Gosashi Kofun which is designated as the tomb of Empress Jingū.
Aerial photos of the notable kofun groups
 Oyamato, Yanagimoto and Makimuku Kofun Group, Nara Prefecture, 3rd century |  Saki Tatanami Kofun Group and the Heijō-kyō site, Nara Prefecture, 4th century |  Furuichi Kofun Group, Osaka Prefecture, 5th century |
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