Gobyōno Kofun: The Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Tenji
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Japan
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Yamato
- Site type
- Burial
- Remains
- Burial Mound
On this page7 sections
History
Tenji and the mausoleum
Gobyōno Kofun is an octagonal burial mound in Kyoto, Japan, built for Emperor Tenji during the late seventh or early eighth century. A kofun is a monumental Japanese burial mound made for an elite person or ruler. The tomb belongs to the terminal Kofun period, when octagonal plans became associated with royal mausolea.
Emperor Tenji reigned from 668 to 671, after earlier political reforms that strengthened the imperial government when he was still known as Prince Naka no Ōe. He died in 671, but his successor, Emperor Tenmu, did not officially commemorate him with a mausoleum. His memory was restored late in the seventh century under his daughter, Empress Jitō, and a burial mound was constructed in his honor around 700.
Imperial recognition
The Imperial Household Agency identifies Gobyōno Kofun as Emperor Tenji’s mausoleum under the designation Yamashina-no-misasagi. The identification of both the buried ruler and the tomb is regarded as unusually secure. Among comparable imperial tombs, only the joint mausoleum of Emperors Tenmu and Jitō is described as similarly certain.
The Engishiki, a tenth-century compilation of regulations and administrative procedures, ranked the tomb among ten nearby imperial mausolea. During Emperor Meiji’s enthronement ceremony, an imperial envoy visited the mausoleum and presented offerings. In the Taishō period, the tomb was regarded as an example of a circular-on-square form and became the model for the shape used for imperial mausolea from Emperor Meiji’s mausoleum onward.
Remains
Mound and approach
Octagonal burial mound
Gobyōno Kofun is an octagonal mound that is also broadly understood as a circular upper section set above a square lower platform. The upper section measures approximately 46 metres from side to side, while the lower square section has sides of about 70 metres. The mound rises roughly 8 metres high.
Water-clock sundial
A sundial stands to the left of the approach entrance bearing the Yamashina Mausoleum marker. It commemorates Emperor Tenji’s achievement during his lifetime in ordering the construction of a water clock for timekeeping.
Nearby sites
