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Sunday, July 8, 2012

Kofun - Ancient Japanese Tombs

In the 3rd - 7th century AD, Japanese tombs looked like tomuli - like a mound in the shape of a keyhole. These ancient heaps are called kofun 古墳, "ancient grave." They gave the name of that period in the Japanese history as well - the Kofun period.




An aerial view:




The terracotta figures are called haniwa and delimit the sacred areas.




The funeral chamber is beneath the round area of the kofun.




One kofun can be up to 400 m long.







Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the late 6th century, and kofun started to disappear.




Some children chasing butterflies nearby:




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