Okadayama Kofun

Overview

The Okadayama Kofun stands in the Okusa-cho neighbourhood of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. It forms part of a cluster of large and small burial mounds from the Kofun period, of which the two larger tombs are collectively designated a National Historic Site under the name Okadayama Kofun. An iron sword bearing the inscription Nukatabe-no-omi was unearthed here, making the site a precious link between ancient Izumo and the Yamato court.

Highlights

• ●The first mound, where an iron sword inscribed Nukatabe-no-omi was found
• ●The first and second mounds designated a National Historic Site
• ●The National Important Cultural Property of Okadayama Kofun artefacts
• ●The historic landscape of Okusa-cho, dense with burial mounds

History

The first and second mounds are designated a National Historic Site, and the artefacts from the first mound are collectively registered as a National Important Cultural Property under the name Artifacts of the Izumo Okadayama Kofun. The inscribed iron sword in particular, carrying the characters for Nukatabe-no-omi, has drawn attention as evidence that a local clan of this land was tied to the central royal power in an age when written records are scarce. The Okusa-cho area of Matsue is a district dense with burial mounds and history.

Map

35.4278, 133.0911 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Drive from central Matsue to Okadayama Kofun in Okusa-cho
2. 2Walk the first and second mounds and read the site notes
3. 3Reflect on the history behind the Nukatabe-no-omi iron sword
4. 4Stroll the nearby historic sites of ancient Izumo as well

Did you know?

💡 The inscription Nukatabe-no-omi carved into the iron sword from the first mound is a rare written record preserving the name of an ancient Japanese clan, a landmark discovery of ancient Izumo cited even in textbooks. That such weighty historical evidence lay within a modest burial mound is the site's greatest fascination.

Nearby spots