Ushizuka Kofun (Mibu)

The Ushizuka Kofun is located on the south bank of the Kurokawa River, to the northeast of the center of Mibu Town. It is part of a group of tumuli which include the nearby Kurumazuka Kofun and Atagozuka Kofun, which have different shapes, and which have separate National Historic Site designations. The Kuramazuka Kofun, the largest in Tochigi Prefecture, is adjacent to the east, while the Atagozuka Kofun is located 450 meters to the south.

The mound is a hotategai-gata-kofun (帆立貝形古墳) built in two tiers, with base platform having a total length of 46.5 meters. The base has a circular platform that is 34.5 meters in diameter and a rectangular extension with width of 25 meters, and is five meters high. It is surrounded by a moat. On this platform, the kofun itself was constructed, with a length of 40 meters circular portion with dimeter of 27.6 meters.

The tomb has never been excavated, but from its design and from fragments of haniwa which have been recovered from the vicinity, it is estimated to date from the late-6th century. This was a period of transition between the Kofun period when the Shimotsuke area was ruled by semi-independent local kings owing fealty to the centralized Yamato state. Its size, and location near other large tumuli and the site of the Shimotsuke Kokubun-ji indicate the importance of this region in Kofun period Shimotsuke.

The Ushiuzuka Kofun is about a 20 minute walk from Mibu Station on the Tōbu Railway Utsunomiya Line.

• List of Historic Sites of Japan (Tochigi)

• Tochigi Tourist Information (in Japanese)
• Mibu Department of Education