Sakai: Emperor Nintoku's Tomb and Daisen Park

From the Sakai City Hall High-Rise Building Observation Lobby near Sakaihigashi Station, look down on the World Heritage Mozu Kofun Group, then walk to the prayer site of Japan's largest keyhole-shaped tumulus, the Daisen Kofun Burial Mound (Mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku). Afterward, this walking route takes you through Daisen Park, which spreads south of the mound, visiting the Sakai City Museum and the Daisen Park Japanese Garden. Viewing it from above, walking right beside it, and learning from exhibits allow you to appreciate the immense scale of this giant mound from various angles.

History and Local Appeal

In the urban area of Sakai, there is the Mozu Kofun Group, where over 100 large and small tumuli once gathered. In 2019, it was inscribed as a World Heritage site under the name Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group.

At its heart lies the Daisen Kofun Burial Mound. Together with the Hanzei-tenno-ryo Kofun Burial Mound to the north and the Richu-tenno-ryo Kofun Burial Mound to the south, these are referred to as the Mozu-no-Mimihara Three Mausoleums, and it is currently managed by the Imperial Household Agency as the tomb of Emperor Nintoku. It is believed to have been constructed in the mid-5th century, with a mound length of about 486 meters. When including its triple moats, the total length reaches as much as 840 meters.

Daisen Park, which expands around the tomb, was positioned in urban planning for postwar reconstruction, and development began in 1963. With facilities like a museum, teahouses, and a Japanese garden, it is now a symbolic park of Sakai City and has been selected as one of "Japan's Top 100 Historical Parks." Inside the park, Sakai City Museum allows visitors to trace Sakai's history from the Kofun period through its prosperity as a free and commercial port city in the medieval period, onward into the early modern and modern eras.

Key Highlights

• ​Sakai City Hall High-Rise Building Observation Lobby​​: Located on the 21st floor of City Hall about 80 meters above ground, this observation lobby is nicknamed "MI-TE Sakai." Large windows facing all directions offer a 360-degree panorama, and the Daisen Kofun Burial Mound can be viewed toward the southeast. Illustrated banners and aerial photographs explaining the size of the mound are displayed, allowing visitors to compare them with the view outside the window.
• ​Daisen Kofun Burial Mound​​: Entry to the mound itself is not permitted. A torii gate and prayer site are located along the southern moat, offering a view of the lower part of the mound. A 2.8-kilometer perimeter path is established along the moat, taking about 50 minutes just to walk around once due to its immense size.
• ​Sakai City Museum​​: Opened in 1980, this museum covers the history, art, archaeology, and folklore of Sakai. The Mozu Kofun Group Theater features a large screen of about 200 inches, screening video footage that feels like an aerial stroll above the burial mounds. Illustrated diagrams of the stone chamber and stone sarcophagus of Emperor Nintoku's tomb, as well as unearthed haniwa (terracotta clay figures), are presented through replicas.
• ​Daisen Park​​: In the center of the park stands the Peace Tower, a triangular pillar approximately 60 meters high erected in 1971. Next to the museum stand Shin-an Teahouse and Obai-an Teahouse, registered tangible cultural properties of Japan. Visitors can casually enjoy matcha green tea in the ryureiseki (seated table-and-chair style) room of Shin-an Teahouse. There are also about 1,000 cherry trees within the grounds.
• ​Daisen Park Japanese Garden​​: Built to commemorate the centennial of Sakai's municipal incorporation and opened in 1989, this is a strolling pond garden with artificial hills (tsukiyama-rinsen-kaiyushiki). The entire garden is styled after Sakai when it flourished through foreign trade: the eastern side of the pond representing the open ocean corresponds to Sakai, while the opposite western bank represents mainland China. From Kasatei, which commands a view over the entire garden, visitors can look toward the Daisen Kofun Burial Mound and Richu-tenno-ryo Kofun Burial Mound in the distance.

Recommended Route and Duration

The approximate duration is about 5 hours. First, head south about 300 meters from Sakaihigashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line to the Sakai City Hall High-Rise Building Observation Lobby. Grasping the spatial relationship between the mounds and the city from this high vantage point will make the subsequent walk easier to understand.

The Daisen Kofun Burial Mound is located about 1.2 kilometers south of City Hall. Once you reach the mound, walk along the path lining the moat toward the southern prayer site. From the prayer site, it is a short walk to the Sakai City Museum inside Daisen Park, which spreads to the south of the tomb. After gaining an overall picture of the mound group at the museum, spend a relaxing time having a cup of tea at the neighboring teahouse or strolling along the park's main loop path of about 1,500 meters.

Finally, head about 390 meters west from the museum to the Daisen Park Japanese Garden. Walk around the pond while taking in the seasonal flowers or autumn leaves, and perhaps savor a bowl of matcha green tea at the garden's tea area. For the return journey, it is a 10-minute walk from the garden to Mozu Station on the JR Hanwa Line.

Experience Summary

After looking down upon the forest-like mound from the 21st-floor window, walking along the moat and standing before the prayer site will leave you astonished once again by its vast scale. Learn Sakai's journey since the Kofun period at the museum, and take a breather in the Japanese garden and teahouses. Enjoy a full day in Sakai, a city home to World Heritage burial mounds.