I visited a little while ago. Right after you enter is an exhibit on the Kawachi imoji (Kawachi casters), which makes casting techniques and history easy to understand. Next, actual armor made around the 4th century and placed in kofun is on display. I felt that this truly is Sakai, a town that has worked with metal since ancient times. There's also a model of a keyhole-shaped kofun displayed so you can see how it was built, and watching the video materials there helps you understand how people of that time built and lived, which really sparks the imagination.

+3

An unremarkable history museum. I didn't expect there to be an admission fee. ￥２００ But with JFA proof, I got the group discount. If it costs money, I might not have gone, There were restrooms, a rest area, etc. The bell seems to be famous. There's a large park out back, and there was a café too, Parking is free, and there's a second parking lot further in. It easily fits more than ２０ cars. There are kofun nearby too.

+3

I found it by chance while passing by and went in. It's a really small facility, but perfectly suited to this area. It's the kind of history and culture facility where you think, "This place (near the Mozu Kofun Group) absolutely needs something like this!" There are explanations that make it easy to understand how kofun and temple bells were made. The iron armor and helmets found among the kofun burial goods are amazing! Wh-wh-what, they're from about 1500 years ago!! And the iron helmet's design is so cool! That's incredible! I was totally blown away🤪 The buried iron armor wasn't practical for battle, but for rulers and those in power, it was something that could show off tremendous military might and authority to the people. Also, it was my first time learning about the Kawachi imoji (かわちいもじ), and it was really interesting. It's a shame I was short on time and had to rush through.

+3

A local history museum set up near Kurohimeyama Kofun in Mihara Ward, Sakai City. The permanent exhibition (paid) mainly covers two things. The first is Kurohimeyama Kofun: in addition to a model showing the overall structure of the kofun, excavated items such as haniwa and armor are on display. The armor is especially eye-catching. Iron armor and helmets that look really heavy are lined up, and apparently as many as 24 sets were excavated from the kofun. It shows that the mid-5th century, when the kofun was built, was still an era of war. The other exhibit is about the Kawachi imoji (かわちいもじ), who were active in this area from the 12th to the 15th century. Imoji, as the name suggests, were craftsmen who made castings, and the exhibit shows that their works, including temple bells across the country, spread over a wide area centered on western Japan. Although it's a compact museum, I think its exhibits spotlight the characteristics of this area and are very easy to understand. If you live nearby, I definitely recommend visiting once.

+3

The armor excavated from Kurohimeyama Kofun is amazing, and it's also amazing that casting technology existed in this area and was involved in the Great Buddha of Todaiji. I was grateful for the careful explanation from the female staff member.