Oni-no-Iwaya Tumulus at the Saitobaru Burial Mounds, photograph by Jan van der Crabben, Saitobaru Kofun Cluster, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, September 2025.
With a height of 7.3 meters (24 ft) and a diameter of 37 meters (121 ft), the Oni-no-Iwaya Tumulus is an imposing structure on the Saitobaru landscape. Built during the Kofun Period (6th century CE), the mound contains one stone chamber inside which iron nails have been discovered during excavations, possibly as part of a coffin. Iron horse-riding equipment and pottery shards were also found within, and it is believed to have been the grave of a local ruler.
The name "Oni-no-Iwaya" comes from a tale in Japanese folklore in which an ogre loved the princess Konohana Sakuya. Upon her death, the ogre built the stone chamber for his lost love in one night.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Crabben, J. v. d. (2026, May 12). Oni-no-Iwaya Tumulus. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21782/oni-no-iwaya-tumulus/
Chicago Style
Crabben, Jan van der. "Oni-no-Iwaya Tumulus." World History Encyclopedia, May 12, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21782/oni-no-iwaya-tumulus/.
MLA Style
Crabben, Jan van der. "Oni-no-Iwaya Tumulus." World History Encyclopedia, 12 May 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21782/oni-no-iwaya-tumulus/.
