is a Kofun period keyhole-shaped burial mound, located in the Goryōzuka-no-koshi-chō, neighborhood of Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1922, and was incorporated into the Otokuni Kofun Cluster in 2016.
Overview.
The Tennō-no-Mori Kofun was built at the foot of a hill on the right bank of the Katsura River, on the western edge of the Kyoto Basin. Per local folklore, it was widely believed to have been the tomb of the Heian period Emperor Montoku, who reigned from 850 to 858, and the name "Tennō-no-Mori" and the surrounding place name "Goryō" reflect this. The tumulus is well preserved, and it was surveyed from 1981 to 1982, with archaeological excavations carried out in 1988–1989.
The shape of the tomb is a , which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. The anterior portion does not widen out, as is typical with most "zenpō-kōen-fun", and has been likened to the shape of a handle on a mirror. The tumulus is orientated to the south-southeast. The tumulus is built in two tiers, and has "fukiishi" roofing stones and rows of "haniwa" (both cylindrical and morning glory-shaped) have been found on the outside of the mound. There is no trace of a moat around the tumulus. The details of the burial chamber are unclear as the interior of the tumulus has yet to be excavated. From its style, the construction date of this tumulus is estimated to be around the end of the 4th century, or early in the middle of the Kofun period.
The tumulus is currently maintained and open to the public as a historic park. The tumulus is about a 20-minute walk from Katsura Station on the Hankyu Railway Kyoto Main Line.