Last Updated: Jan 22, 2024

Osaka’s Daisen Kofun

Behold Emperor Nintoku’s Mausoleum

As much as it pains me to write this, I absolutely loathe Osaka these days. This is really saying something as the city once ranked among my all-time favorite places to party. Sadly, much like Kyoto sitting only 30 minutes to the north, Osaka has borne much of the brunt of Japan’s recent tourism boom. Frankly put, the streets are simply too jam packed with endless legions of tour groups hailing from neighboring Asian countries. In fact, should you dare to venture to popular areas like Dotonbori, you’ll be lucky to even hear an utterance of Japanese as you wander about. What’s more, many of the former shopkeepers have been largely replaced by foreign staff to better assist the endless throngs of tourists. As you might imagine, all of this has really eroded Osaka’s authenticity.

Alas, even though most of Osaka has been commodified into a hideous tourist trap, a handful of yet-to-be-spoiled hidden gems remain within this tragic monstrosity. With that said, we’ll be taking a look at just one such place. Known in English as the Tomb of Emperor Nintoku (or Daisen Kofun in Japanese), this behemoth complex is approximately 840 meters long and allegedly belongs to the 16th emperor of Japan. The massive keyhole-shaped structure is ranked as one of the world’s three…