Large Burial Mounds and the Increase in Metal Production
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Visored Helmet
Found at the Gion Ōtsukayama Tumulus, Chiba, Kofun period, 5th centuryJapanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
October 7, 2025 (Tue) - February 1, 2026 (Sun)Around the end of the 4th century, large keyhole-shaped burial mounds began to appear around the Osaka plain and Nara basin. Royal authority was expressed through burial practices, with grand arrangements of haniwa tomb figurines displayed on these mounds. Central to these arrangements were house-shaped haniwa as well as those representing tools, weapons, and other objects. Moreover, the number of small- and medium-sized burial mounds containing metal weapons and armor began to increase, suggesting that connections between the Yamato Kingdom and provincial clans became more militaristic, and that these connections began to extend to lesser clans as well. Metal production also increased significantly as shown by the large amount of ingots placed in burial mounds.
Chinese records state that from 421, the Five Kings of Wa (Japan) regularly offered tribute to the Southern Dynasties and requested that their military titles in Japan and Korea be recognized in China. The mass-production of metal weapons and armor further suggests the inclusion of Yamato in an international order centered on China.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Mirror with a Pictorial Band, Deities, and Beasts | Found in Iida City, Nagano | Kofun period, 5th–6th century | Gift of Mr. Tokugawa Yorisada, J-20083 | |||
| Highlight | Visored Helmet | Found at the Gion Ōtsukayama Tumulus, Chiba | Kofun period, 5th century | J-728 | |||
| Pot with a Hole for Pouring | Found at the Gion Ōtsukayama Tumulus, Chiba | Kofun period, 5th century | Gift of Mr. Hasegawa Akira, J-38337 | ||||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Shield | Passed down at Isonokami Jingū Shrine, Nara | Kofun period, 5th century | Lent by Isonokami Jingū Shrine, Nara | ||
| Highlight | Armor ("Tankō") with Vertical Plates Joined with Leather | Found at the Ōmaruyama Tumulus, Yamanashi | Kofun period, 4th century | J-20491 | |||
| Highlight | Unusually Shaped Jar | Found in Takashima City, Shiga | Kofun period, 5th century | J-6492 |