Mori Shogunzuka Kofun

Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture

This spectacular 4th century keyhole kofun, the largest in Nagano, was excavated and rebuilt in the 1980's. The occupant, whose name is unknown, must have been a very important person in his (her?) time. Unfortunately the tumulus had long been robbed-out, so very few grave goods were recovered. The tomb interior is closed - a polite way of saying that it has been reburied for decades under an uncountable number of tens of thousands of tons of rubble - but an accurate, full-size reproduction of its burial chamber can be seen in the site museum (later page).