Fujinoki Tomb

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Fujinoki tomb (藤ノ木古墳, -kofun^?) is a tumulus, known as a kofun in Japanese, located in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan.

It is estimated to date from the later half of the sixth century or the late seventh century. [1]. The burial mound is about 40 or 48 meters in diameter, nine meters in height, and the stone chamber the mound covers is sixteen meters in length. [2]. Excavation began in 1985. The tomb yielded gilt-bronze ornaments, horse trappings, and a stone coffin.

The Korean appearance of the tomb suggests that the person interred, and the person's clan, probably had close ties with Korea. [3]. The tomb is far away from the Soga clan's Asuka power base so it theorized that another powerful immigrant clan, allied with the Soga, was responsible for the creation of the tomb. [4].

The tomb's Korean appearance is supplemented by the fact that the harness excavated in the tomb is a Korean import. Additionally, the native Japanese of the day did not known the "meaning of the ornamental patterns carved on saddle fittings" nor "how to make such fittings." [5].