Inariyama Sword
Japanese iron burial-mound sword
稻荷山古墳出土鐵劍 · 稲荷山古墳出土鉄剣 · 이나리야마 고분 철검
- Type
- tsurugi, archaeological artefact, iron sword
- Period of origin
- 471
- Material
- iron
The iron Inariyama burial-mound sword (稲荷山古墳出土鉄剣, inariyama kofun shutsudo tekken) or kinsakumei tekken (金錯銘鉄剣) was excavated in 1968 at the Inariyama Kofun, a megalithic tomb located in Saitama Prefecture. In 1978, X-ray analysis revealed a gold-inlaid inscription that comprises at least 115 Chinese characters. This sword was described as the discovery of the century for the study of ancient Japanese history. The sword is designated a national treasure of Japan and is on display in the Saitama Prefectural Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q856395 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.