Sakitama Kofun Park

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Recherche et rédaction Hinato

Sakitama Kofunburial moundsgold-inlaid swordGyodaNational Treasure

Photo: Nesnad / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · original

Nine large burial mounds stand together in a field at Gyoda, including Maruhakayama, one of the largest round mounds in Japan at about 105 metres across, and Inariyama, from which came an iron sword with 115 characters inlaid in gold on its blade. The inscription is dated to 471 and names the man buried there and his line of service to a great king, which makes it one of the earliest written records produced in Japan and the reason the sword is a National Treasure.

The prefecture takes its name from this place. You can climb several of the mounds, which is not permitted at the larger imperial-designated tombs, and the view from the top of Maruhakayama across the group is the only way to grasp the scale of a fifth-century burial ground. The prefectural museum on site holds the sword.

Informations essentielles

Horaires d'ouverture

Park open at all hours | Prefectural Sakitama Historic Site Museum 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (to 5:00 PM in July and August), last entry 30 minutes before closing

Fermé: Park open year-round; museum closed Mondays and December 29 – January 3

Tarif d'entrée

Free (park and burial mounds) | Prefectural museum admission charged separately — confirm current pricing

Meilleure saison

Late April–early May for cherry and milk vetch around the mounds | Year-round for the mounds themselves

Durée de visite

1.5–2 hours including the museum

Comment s'y rendre

Informations d'accès

Sakitama 4834, Gyoda City. By car from Gyoda Station on the JR Takasaki Line; closed Mondays and December 29 to January 3. Museum admission is charged — confirm current pricing. The gold-inlaid sword is displayed as a replica while the original is conserved.

Guide d'initié

**You can climb the mounds.** Maruhakayama and Inariyama both have paths to the top. The Imperial Household Agency's designated tombs elsewhere in Japan are closed, so this is one of the few places to stand on one. **The sword's inscription is why the museum exists.** 115 gold-inlaid characters, dated 471, naming a lineage and a great king. It is close to the oldest writing produced in Japan and it was found here by accident during conservation in 1978. **Check whether the original is on display.** The sword has been shown as a replica during conservation. If you are travelling for the object specifically, ring first. **Late April and early May for the mounds in flower.** The park is planted with cherry, then wisteria and Chinese milk vetch. The mounds themselves are grassed and mown. **Combine with Oshi Castle in town.** Fifteen minutes away, with the tabi warehouses that made Gyoda the source of most of Japan's split-toed socks.

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