Chōjaganaru Kofun

Overview

Chojaganaru Kofun is a scallop-shaped burial mound in the Fukuoka area of Yodoe, Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture. Its distinctive plan combines a round mound with a short rectangular projection on one side, a silhouette said to resemble a scallop shell, which gave the tomb its category name. It is one of the mounds (Mukaiyama No. 5) making up the Mukaiyama Kofun Cluster in southeastern Yonago. Left without official heritage designation, the site is only lightly managed, letting visitors take in the shape of the mound up close.

Highlights

• ●The unusual scallop silhouette of a round mound with a rectangular projection
• ●Its place as one mound (No. 5) of the Mukaiyama Kofun Cluster
• ●A rustic, minimally managed setting that preserves the hill's natural contours
• ●Tomb-hopping alongside the various mounds scattered nearby

History

The tomb is thought to date to around the 6th century. The scallop shape is essentially a simplified version of the keyhole-shaped tomb, and such mounds are believed to have held regional leaders of the period. The Mukaiyama cluster gathers mounds of varying forms and sizes, and Chojaganaru stands out for its unusual outline. Because it is not a designated national historic site, no large-scale reconstruction has been carried out, and it remains quietly set into the original contours of the hill.

Map

35.4531, 133.4401 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from around Yodoe Station to the Mukaiyama cluster area
2. 2Walk a full circle to study Chojaganaru's scallop-shaped plan
3. 3Compare it with the other mounds nearby on foot
4. 4Round out your visit with Yodoe's historic sites and local museum

Did you know?

💡 The place name Chojaganaru is said to come from a local legend that a wealthy man once lived here. The term scallop-shaped is an archaeological classification and does not mean the tomb was built to imitate a shell.

Nearby spots