Fodor's Expert Review Tomb of Emperor Nintoku

The 4th-century mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku is the largest of the Mozu Kofun, 49 burial mounds located in the city of Sakai, southeast of Osaka. This is the largest tomb in Japan, and covers an even bigger area than that of the pyramids of Egypt—archaeologists calculate that the central mound of this site occupies 1.3 million square feet. Construction took more than 20 years and required a total workforce of about 800,000 laborers. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. Surrounding the emperor's keyhole-shaped burial place are three moats and pine, cedar, and cypress trees. You can walk around the outer moat in about an hour to get an idea of the size of the mausoleum and the grounds. The free 21st-floor observatory in the Sakai City Hall complex offers an aerial view of the tomb.