ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kofun period

The Kofun period was a time in Japan a long, long time ago, when people built big burial mounds called kofuns for important people after they died. This period lasted from about 300 to 710 CE, which is even before you, your mom, or your dad were born!

During this time, the people in Japan believed in honoring their ancestors and paying respects to the dead. The kofuns were built to look like hills with a big flat top. Sometimes they covered up whole villages and could be hundreds of meters long!

The people who were important and wealthy were buried in the biggest kofuns, while regular people were buried in smaller ones. The bigger the kofun, the more important the person buried inside was.

People also made objects for the dead to take with them to the afterlife, such as helmets, swords, and mirrors. These objects were often decorated with intricate designs, and many of them are still around today for us to see and learn about the Kofun period.

After the Kofun period, Japan became more modern, and people stopped building kofuns. However, the Kofun period left a lasting impact on Japanese culture and history, and it's still remembered and celebrated today.
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