In the southeastern suburbs of Osaka, among houses, rice paddies and railway lines, rise wooded mounds surrounded by moats. These are kofun, burial mounds built for the elite of ancient Japan between the third and seventh centuries, and the Furuichi group around Fujiidera and Habikino contains some of the largest in the country. Yashimazuka is one of the smaller mounds in the group, standing close to much bigger keyhole-shaped tombs attributed to emperors and empresses. Together with the Mozu group in Sakai, these mounds were listed by UNESCO in 2019 as the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group.
The keyhole shape, round at the back and square at the front, is unique to Japan, and seen from the air the biggest mounds are astonishing. From the ground, they look like small forested hills, and access to many of them is restricted, since they are managed by the Imperial Household Agency as imperial tombs. You can walk around the moats, and there are viewpoints and small museums that explain the history. It is a strange experience, these ancient monuments sitting quietly in the middle of a modern city.
The area is densely populated, part of the sprawling Osaka metropolitan region, with houses, shops and small factories filling every gap. Kashiwara, Fujiidera and Habikino are suburban towns, busy and practical, with railway stations, supermarkets and noodle shops.
The riding here is urban, with heavy traffic, traffic lights and narrow streets. To escape, head east into the hills that separate Osaka from Nara. The Shigi-Ikoma Skyline, a toll road along the ridge of the Ikoma mountains, has views over the Osaka plain and is popular with riders, especially at night when the city lights spread out below. Further south, the Kongō mountains offer winding roads through forests. Across the hills, Nara has its own treasures: the great temples of Tōdai-ji and Hōryū-ji, the deer park, and the ancient capital's quieter streets.
Fuel, food and everything else are readily available. Driving is on the left, and Japanese traffic rules are strictly enforced, with speed cameras on major roads. The best seasons are spring, for the cherry blossoms, and autumn, for the foliage; summer is very hot and humid. Take a walk around the moat of a big kofun in the early morning, when the herons are fishing.