Saginuma Castle Park and Saginuma Tumuli 鷺沼城跡公園・鷺沼古墳群
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Saginuma Castle Park is the site of both the defunct Saginuma Castle (built during Heian Period, 8th to 12th century) and Saginuma Tumuli or burial mounds. Exact castle construction date is unknown, and not much is known. No castle structures remain, but there is a small stone coffin on display inside a hut.
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Saginuma Castle Park is a 10 to 15-min. walk from Keisei-Tsudanuma Station. Near Narashino City Hall. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/xkw1vc8j4ze96tyT7
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Walk along the right side of the castle park hill until you see steps going up.
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Steps to go up Saginuma Castle Park. The hill is 18 meters high.
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Saginuma Castle Park is a small, flat park ringed with cherry blossom trees. This was in winter.
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Saginuma Castle was built by a local lord named Saginuma Taro Genta Mitsuyoshi. This is a monument for him. 鷺沼太郎源太光義の碑
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Saginuma Castle Park has two kofun burial mounds labeled as Mound A (A号墳) and Mound B (B号墳). They were discovered here in 1966. Mound A is keyhole-shaped. Mound B includes a stone coffin.Saginuma Tumuli date from the latter 6th century, based on haniwa sculpture pieces excavated from Mound A in 1966. The mounds are 20 to 25 meters long.
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Mound A tumulus (A号墳) at Saginuma Castle Park.
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Mound A tumulus (A号墳) at Saginuma Castle Park has a small torii.
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Mound A tumulus (A号墳) at Saginuma Castle Park. Local nobility was buried here during the 6th century. There's now a small shrine.
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Mound A tumulus (A号墳) at Saginuma Castle Park.
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Mound B (B号墳) had two stone coffins. Although one coffin was destroyed, the other remains intact. Now protected by a hut. The stone coffin contained the remains of two adults,
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Mound B tumulus (B号墳) at Saginuma Castle Park. Hut preserving a stone coffin. B号墳の箱式石棺
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Stone coffin in Mound B is 2 meters long, 0.8 meter wide, and 0.7 meter deep. The stones came from southern Chiba Prefecture and shaped with metallic tools. The coffin was covered with large stones. B号墳の箱式石棺The remains of two adult males were found in the coffin in 1966. Chokutō sword fragments, ancient jewelry, arrowheads, and small knife were also found.
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Mound B and stone coffin hut.
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Mound B and stone coffin hut.
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Remains of a natural gas well.
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Park has a lot of space to run around.
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Park includes playground equipment for kids.
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Pieces of haniwa sculptures were dug up and the park has two replicated Naniwa statues. One human and one horse. Unknown what the original haniwa actually looked like.
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Horse haniwa statue (replica).
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Walking around the burial mound.
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Weeping cherry trees.
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The burial mounds have stones along the perimeter.
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Walking back to the train station along the side of the park.
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