A Walk in the Umami Hills Park

Umami Hills Park is located on the rolling hills stretching from Koryo Town of Kitakatsuragi County to Yamato Takada City in the southwest of the Nara Basin.  It is the second largest park next to the Nara Park in Nara Prefecture.  What is special about this park is there are  grassy hills of the burial mounds of the ancient times, mostly constructed in the 5th Century.  I love walking around the rolling hill paths through various blooms in season.

This park was made to preserve the Umami-kofun Cluster dotted in that area.  Tombs built for interring corpses are called "kofun", or ancient burial mounds.  They first appeared in the late 3rd Century, and impressive, grand mounds were made from about the 4th through 7th Centuries.  Earth was piled high, stone chambers were built, and in them were placed stone coffins and funerary objects with the dead.  In the late tumulus period, the grand scale kofun was surrounded by moats.

Burial mounds were popular before the entry of Buddhism, and then the practice of cremation got widespread.

Ipponmatsu-kofun burial mound is "zenpo-koen-fun", the tomb shaped like an old-fashioned keyhole when viewed from above.  It was used for the burials of the highest-ranking members of the ruling class.

The full length of Ipponmatsu-kofun is 130m, consisting of square front (width 80m) and round back  (diameter 80m).  

Nagareyama-kofun burial mound (5th century) is another keyhole-shaped mound and is thought to be the tomb of the couple of the man of power. The full length is 105 m with a square front and a round back.

It was partly broken by taking the ground out.  Since it was designated as a national historic site, it has been put into good condition.  During the excavation, two levels of “Haniwa” (clay image), “Fukiishi” (paved stones), and a passage with rows of “Haniwa” between the round part and the rectangular part, were discovered.

Throughout the park, the views are a constant source of surprise and delight.  At this season, I like the view of the mound with trees perched by  birds with the backdrop of blue sky and clouds.

Crows especially like the branches of the persimmon trees heavy with fruits.

I also like to see wild ducks which have already come back to the pond. The arrival of the birds tells the approaching of winter despite the serene warm days.   Excuse me, birds are too small to see.

At the edge of the pond, susuki, or Japanese pampas grass, and goldenrods bloom side by side.  Some people say goldenrods have invaded, others say susuki are so kind that they can coexist.  (Please have a visit to my last post Susuki at Mt. Katsuragi where I wrote what I love about susuki.)

The park consists of many gardens.  Flowers in bloom are always lovely to see.  Filipendula (シモツケソウ) is long-lasting from June to frost.

野紺菊（ノコンギク)？　関東嫁菜(カントウヨメナ)？

Wild mums bloom quietly.   I remembered traditional Japanese children's song "野菊/Wild Chrysanthemums". 

 

 

In this rose garden, roses have bloomed constantly since late May, even in the scorching heat of summer.  They have revived themselves from the fatigue of the summer heat and are enjoying the last bloom.

Salvia leucantha, or Amethyst sage

 

Salvia involucrata, Rose-leaf sage

Dogwood

 

changing colors of Japanese Maple leaves

The Park is spectacular all the year round with various different blooms and colors. At the park museum people learn about the nature and the burial mounds of the Umami Hills.  And besides, parking and entrance to the  park is free of charge.  Many people in the neighborhood go on a walk every day to keep themselves fit, and I have stopped by from season to season when I pay a visit to the ancestor's grave nearby.  This park would be the perfect spot for recreation of all the family members.

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