Tomb of Emperor Ninken (Ninken Tennō-ryō Kofun) 仁賢天皇陵古墳

Official explanation

According to the Imperial Household Agency, this keyhole-shaped kofun is the tomb of Emperor Ninken, the twenty-fourth emperor of Japan in the traditional order of succession. He is believed to have reigned during the fifth century.

To the northwest of the kofun are the two sixth-century Nonoue Haniwa Kilns. They were discovered in 1981 and are believed to be where the terracotta figures (haniwa) used to decorate Ninken’s tomb were created. Although one kiln had collapsed, many terracotta figures were successfully excavated from it. The other was preserved in situ. Studying the two kilns has increased the understanding of the techniques and capabilities of the potters who made the haniwa figures used to decorate many of the kofun in this area.

Read the full explanation

The tomb of Emperor Ninken is 10 meters high and covers an area of just under 1 hectare. It is surrounded by a narrow, shallow moat. Based on the characteristics of the haniwa found along the moat’s exterior, the tomb is believed to have been built in the early sixth century.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.