I visited the Yamaya burial mound in Nishigama-ku, Niigata City (formerly Fukui, Maki-cho). I was walking around the Fukui Shrine along the Hokkoku Highway when I found a sign that appeared out of the blue.

I was told that there was a burial mound about 300 metres further on! I thought to myself, "Niigata has a burial mound..." and decided to give it a try.

You will pass through the Fukui Shrine surrounded by nature and beautiful streets with hydrangeas, and continue deep into the mountains where there are ancient burial mounds. It feels like you are doing a bit of hiking!

The road leading to the burial mound. Nature!

Moving swiftly forward. Forest life!

A small river flows at the end of the path. It is very pleasant to walk in nature, listening to the birds chirping and the sound of the river flowing! Refreshing!

On the right hand side, there is some kind of big staircase... After walking for about five minutes, I found the entrance to climb the tumulus. I wondered if the Yamaya burial mound was at the end of this climb! I'm getting excited!

Running up the stairs leading to the tumulus...

Arrival! Kofun Tomb! 'So this is a burial mound!' I, alone and excited, began to read the sign next to me, once again calmly wondering what on earth a kofun tomb was then.

There was a lot written about it, but as I am not good at reading texts, it was difficult for me to get into the contents! (They say it is the oldest burial mound in the prefecture.)

To sum it up roughly, the Yamaya tumulus was like a "venerable little mountain". If you use your endless imagination to wonder if ancient people are sleeping here, I can assure you that you will feel pious. It is only 300 metres from the entrance to the tumulus, so you can take a short stroll or enjoy the feeling of hiking in your normal clothes.

I learned that there are several other burial mounds in Niigata Prefecture, so I wanted to drop in and see them while I was in the area. It's nice to walk in nature! I hope you all have the chance to drop by and have a look!

• Reference link 'Map of Niigata Prefecture's ancient tombs': http://kofun.info/kofunlist/16