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Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs
清戸迫横穴
	Aerial photo of location in 1975
	Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs (Japan)
Location	Futaba, Fukushima, Japan
Region	Tōhoku region
Coordinates	37°26′31″N 141°00′17″E / 37.44194°N 141.00472°E
Type	cave tomb
History
Founded	Kofun period
Site notes
Excavation dates	1988
Public access	Yes
	National Historic Site of Japan

Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs (清戸迫横穴, Kiyotosaku yokoaka) is an archaeological site containing numerous Kofun period Corridor-type kofun [ja] (横穴式石室, yokoana-shiki sekishitsu) located in what is now part of the town of Futaba, Fukushima in the southern Tōhoku region of Japan. It is significant in that it is tomb No.76 is a highly decorated kofun with geometric patterns, human figures and animals painted in red on the walls of the burial chamber.^[1] The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1968.^[2]

Overview

The site dates from the first half of the 7th century and consists of over 300 graves located on hilly land. The existence of these tombs has been known since ancient times, but they were only excavated in 1968, as part of rescue archaeology during construction work on the Futaba Minami Elementary School. Most were destroyed by the construction; however, tomb No.76 was found to contain well preserved mural paintings. The tomb has a rectangular opening facing southeast and is 3.15 meters in length, 1.56 meters in height and 2.34 to 2.8 meters in width. The murals include spiral designed in red iron oxide, with a crowned human figure wearing a hakama and shoes, and another figure with a helmet and a raised left hand next to a horse. Other designs include figures with bows and arrows representing a hunting scene, with wild boar, deer and dogs.

The site was damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has been in an area off limits to the public due to radiation. In February 2017, Tohoku University received special permission to revisit the site, and to make a detailed three-dimensional scan of the interior of the tomb, in order to have a detailed record of the dimensions of the tomb and its interior decorations just in case future damage should occur. ^[3]

The site is about 20 minutes on foot from Futaba Station on the JR East Jōban Line.