Anesaki Kofun Cluster

The Anesaki Kofun Cluster is a group of burial mounds in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It stands along the south bank of the lower Yōrō River, extending from floodplain to a terrace between 30 meters and 40 meters above sea level. The cluster belongs to the period from the late fourth century to the late seventh century.

Thirty-four mounds have been identified: 11 keyhole-shaped mounds, 2 double-rectangle mounds, 20 round mounds and 1 square mound. Many others have already disappeared. The largest surviving mound is Anesaki Tenjinyama Kofun, 130 meters long, with its square front facing west. Anesaki Futagozuka Kofun, 103 meters long, stands on a sand dune in the plain to the north.

The earliest mound appears to be Anesaki Tenjinyama Kofun, estimated to have been built from the early to middle fourth century. Shaka-yama Kofun, 86 meters long, followed in the late fourth century. Anesaki Futagozuka Kofun dates to the late fifth century, while Sannōyama Kofun was built in the first half of the sixth century and Rokusōnohara Kofun in the seventh. The last has a stone chamber lined with cut stone and opening to the south.

Anesaki Shrine lies 600 meters west of Anesaki Tenjinyama Kofun and is associated with a founding tradition concerning Shanghai no Kuni no Miyatsuko, regarded as the deity of that clan. Sannōyama Kofun, once 69 meters long, was destroyed after investigation before development. Overall, the group includes examples of the keyhole-shaped, round, double-rectangle and square mound forms characteristic of Japan’s great burial mounds.

Anesaki Kofun Cluster is a megalithic mound (tumulus with integral stones) in Anesaki, Japan. A typological estimate: 250 CE to 650 CE. No English Wikipedia article exists for it; the full text below is the Japanese article "姉崎古墳群", shown in the original language.