Saginokuchi No. 1 Tumulus

Known as Konohazuka (“Leaf Mound”) due to the leaf-like engravings on its inner walls, this tomb is one of a group of over ten horizontal stone chamber tombs scattered along the slopes of Higashiyama and Mt. Eboshi. The burial mound, rounded in shape and set apart from the mountain slope, measures approximately 10 metres in diameter and 2.8 metres in height. The stone chamber opens to the south and is built primarily from roughly shaped natural andesite stones sourced nearby, stacked in three to four layers. Granite is used in some sections, and three massive flat stones form the ceiling. The vertical tapering from floor to ceiling is slight. The passage is clearly visible to a depth of about 3.2 metres and a width of 1.5 metres, but its height is unclear due to collapse. Wall stones remain in what appears to be two tiers. The burial chamber measures approximately 4 metres in length, with the width narrowing from 1.8 metres at the entrance to 1.4 metres at the back. It stands at 2.15 metres in height. The floor is paved with natural andesite stones ranging from 20 to 50 centimetres in length and width. While it is a typical horizontal stone chamber, much like others in the area, its distinctive feature is the leaf-pattern engravings carved mainly into the walls of both the passage and the burial chamber. Konohazuka lies within an archaeological site associated with the Yayoi culture. Based on various remains, it is thought to be the earliest settled village in the Ayakita District. The region is also tied to several legends connected to Ayaori, such as Ayaorizuka, the Anayakushi Tumulus, and the tomb of Princess Ayaori (located south of the Kamohai-ji Temple Ruin). For these reasons, it is considered ancient land of Ayaori. Konohazuka, too, may carry a sense of that past.