How to Use Kinki Kofun KMZ
On July 6, 2019, UNESCO accepted the Mozu and Furu Ichi Ancient Tumulus Clusters as a World Heritage Site. Anticipating an interest in the old tombs (or kofun, as they are called in Japanese), I have decided to make available a KMZ file which I originally published in the now defunct Google Earth Community in 2011. This file attempted to place these and similar tombs in the area in geographical and historical context. If you use this file and find it useful, please indicate with a like or a comment. Even a tiny bit of interest would induce me to undertake some minor revisions which would bring it up to date.
Below is most of the Introduction printed in the 2011 post, as well as links for downloading Google Earth and the KMZ file.
Kofun are the monumental mausolea constructed for the leaders in ancient Japan. These enduring structures continue to dot the landscape throughout most of Japan, and nowhere are there more than in the Kinki Area (Nara-Osaka-Kyoto) where I live. They are usually not high on the things to see lists of foreign visitors, but for many Japanese living among them they are a fact of daily existence. I suppose many people take no more note of them than features of the natural environment, but many others have a keen interest, consuming countless books on the subject and creating rather splendid internet sites. As a foreigner, I may never be able to join their ranks, but I have to confess to a fascination with these enduring structures that I live among and which reveal so much about the roots of the Japanese nation.
This file grew out of my desire to understand a size and construction date chart made by one of Japan's most eminent archeologists and copied from a recently published book. I have translated and slightly modified this chart, and used it as a departure point from which to visit each of the tombs listed. I am always interested in exploring the potential of the Google Earth tool in displaying complex information, and I believe the format I have used may be a model for constructing a kind of visual database, although the data displayed in this case is minimal.
I wish to thank Mr. Yukishige Hirose, curator at the Osaka Chikatsu Asuka History Museum, who took time from his busy schedule to answer many questions, and especially my friend Mr. Toshiyuki Yoneda and GEC moderator Noisette, both of whom I pestered constantly throughout the making of this file with questions and requests for help and advice.
Google Earth Pro may be downloaded without charge at this URL:
After Google Earth Pro has been installed, download the Kinki Kofun file by clicking on this URL: