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Japan’s Chugoku region is rich with archeological finds and ancient history, making it one of the best places to see the traditional old structures built by the peoples who once made their homes in Miyoshi, along with the grand tombs they left behind. At Miyoshi’s Fudoki no Oka Park, visitors can slip into the past as they stroll through the green grounds, wandering past archeological treasures and imagining how Japanese people once lived and died on these lands. Between the Fudoki no Oka park lands and the Hiroshima History and Folklore Museum situated on the grounds, there’s no better place to catch a glimpse of ancient Miyoshi.

The main focus of Miyoshi Fudoki no Oka is the many ancient burial mounds dotting the area, called “kofun” in Japan, and there are around 3,000 of the giant tombs left from the historic community that once lived around Miyoshi. Visitors will see Jorakuji kofun and Nanatsuzuka kofun, each with their own configuration of earthen mounds, alongside stone chambers and sarcophagi, and even some ancient homes that were lived in so many centuries ago. Traditional Japanese houses once looked quite different from the elegant wooden buildings we imagine today!

The park is a huge space with quite a few popular sites, but they make it easy to get around, with signs suggesting popular routes through the many paths. There’s an easy “family route” for a casual stroll, or a “kofun route” for visitors who don’t want to miss the many ancient burial mounds in Miyoshi Fudoki no Oka.

The on-site Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore is the place to go to learn all about the historic sites scattered nearby, and to find out more about the ancient history of the Chugoku region and Gonokawa River at large. Displays introduce precious artifacts from excavated tombs, and explain local cultural traditions stemming from the peoples who once lived on the land that is now Miyoshi. As an obvious transportation hub between Izumo (northwest of Miyoshi) and Kibi (modern-day Okayama, southwest of Miyoshi), the area has long been a thriving waypoint, soaking up regional influences from all over. Museum curators can even point out the way this unique position is reflected on the ancient pottery from the region! The museum offers a deeper look into the lives of Miyoshi’s oldest residents, and the exhibits even make life in millennia past seem a little more relatable. For families, travelers who like a good walk on a sunny day, or anyone who loves to learn about Japanese history and archaeology, Miyoshi Fudoki no Oka and the Museum of History and Folklore are must-see destinations.