Mozu Kofun Group

The Mozu Kofun Group is located in the city of Sakai which is within Osaka Prefecture. The tumuli are built on a plateau overlooking Osaka Bay near the ancient coastline and are distributed in a range of about four kilometers from east-to-west and north-to-south. The Furuichi Kofun Cluster is located in nearby Habikino and Fujiidera cities. ==History==

In the Japanese archipelago, more than 20,000 tumuli (kofun), which are mounds of earth and stones erected over graves of the ruling class, were built between the later part of the 3rd century and the 6th century. It was the peak period of building such mounds. and separately, the Imperial Household Agency has ruled three to be Imperial mausoleums, two to be "Tomb Reference Sites", and 18 to be "baichō", or ancillary mausoleums connected with an Imperial mausoleum. There used to be more than 100 burial mounds, but due to the rapid development of residential land after World War II, more than half of the burial mounds were destroyed. In 2010, the Japanese government proposed that the Daisen Kofun and the entire cluster of Mozu Kofun Group and Furuichi Kofun Group be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 9 years later on 6 July 2019, the site was approved and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under Criteria: (iii) and (iv) as the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan. ==Features==

The kofun are found in many shapes and dimensions in varying patterns. Some are of simple circular or square shape (empun and hōfun). The larger ones are keyhole-shaped (zempō kōenfun); they represent the highest class of kofun and were built in great detail. Enclosed by three moats, the mound rises approximately 35m above the surrounding terrain. The highest point is , making it visible to the seafarers in nearby Osaka Bay. The inner moat is the widest of the moats at approximately . The mound is approximately in area, and the entire tomb is . Today, the tomb is off-limits and protected by the Imperial Household Agency in the centre of Sakai City. The moats have been maintained and provide a sanctuary for fish and waterbirds. The mound itself is completely overgrown by vegetation. A viewing platform from the second (middle) moat is accessible at the south side of the site. The viewing platform is 500m away from Mozu Station on the Hanwa Line and is directly across the street from the Sakai City Museum. This museum provides visitors with information about the kofun and its history. Gallery File:NintokuTomb Aerial photograph 2007.jpg|alt=|Daisenryo Kofun, 2.8 km in circumference and the largest kofun in Japan, is thought to be the Tomb of Emperor Nintoku. File:Kamiishizu Misanzai Kofun Aerial photograph 2007.jpg|alt=|Kamiishizu Misanzai Kofun File:Haze Nisanzai Kofun zenkei.JPG|Haze Nisanzai Kofun File:Mozu Gobyo-yama Kofun zenkei.JPG|Mozu Gobyo-yama Kofun File:Tadeiyama Kofun Aerial photograph 2007.jpg|alt=|Tadeiyama Kofun File:Itasuke Kofun zenkei.JPG|Itasuke Kofun ==See also==