An ancient burial mound characterized by the mounds where ancient kings and nobles were buried. The Mausoleum of Emperor Ojin is the main burial mound of the Furuichi Burial Mounds Group, extending from Fujiidera City to Habikino City in Osaka Prefecture. It is well-known for being one of the largest keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Japan and is one of the “Mozu-Furuichi Kohun Group” World Heritage Site assets. Feel its enormity by simply walking along the path next to the mound! Although a full-scale excavation is yet to be done, is it thought to have been built in the first half of the 5th century. Cylinder-shaped haniwas, waterfowl, shields, and house-shaped haniwas have all been excavated here, as well as other clay items depicting as whales and octopuses.

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Address: 3, 5, 6-chome Konda, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-958-1111 (Habikino City Board of Education Cultural Property Division)

Konda Hachimangu Shrine; where Emperor Ojin is enshrined, is said to be the oldest Hachimangu Shrine in Japan. National treasures such as mikoshi (portable shrines) believed to be donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo, and horse trappings excavated near the burial mounds are all stored here. Hojo Bridge connects Hachimangu Shrine with the Mausoleum of Emperor Ojin. During the Autumn Grand Festival on September 15th, a ceremony called ‘Owatari’ is held. The spirit of Emperor Ojin is carried in mikoshi over the bridge to the imperial mausoleum in this ceremony. It is said to be the only festival in Japan that allows the general public in to the imperial mausoleum – an area usually closed to the general public.

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Address: 3-2-8 Konda, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone/072-956-0635
Hours: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. *Treasure house tours are Saturdays between 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Price: Treasure house admission fee 400 yen

I headed to Eight Verse for lunch to enjoy delicious, Japanese-Western fusion cuisine. The owner goes to the farmers market himself to buy the required ingredients, serving dishes brimming with seasonal fish and vegetables. Their lunch menu changes daily, with all dishes designed according to what seasonal ingredients are available on any given day. This means you can enjoy a different dish every time you visit! The lunch on the day we visited was served in 13 small bowls, all using vegetables harvested in Habikino and fish caught in Osaka Bay. I was too excited to know where to start eating! There are lots of local sake sold here too; such as Osaka wine and Japanese sake, simply ask the owner for advice if unsure.

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Address: 182 Kawamukai, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-958-0588
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (last order by 2:00 p.m.), Dinner from 6:00 p.m. *Limited to 2 groups per day (reservation required)
Closed: Tuesdays, 2nd Monday of the month

This long-standing winery has continuously produced wine for around 80 years and offers tours of the brewing facility guided by the winemakers. On the tour you can not only enjoy tasting the wine but also see large, stainless-steel tanks and the wooden barrels that ferment the squeezed grapes. Out of all of their brands they recommend their white wine, ‘Kontoku Wine Delaware’ the most. This beautiful white wine is characterized by its fruity aroma, easy drinkability and refreshing taste. Taste and compare their wide variety of wines and find your favorite!

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Address: 1027 Komagatani, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Telephone: 072-956-0181
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Weekends and holidays 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Irregular
Price: Winery tour (reservation required), 6 people or less: 2,200 yen per person on weekdays, 2,750 yen on weekends and holidays, 7 people and more: 1,650 yen per person *See the official website for more details http://www.kawachi-wine.co.jp/

The grape farm at Asuka Wine spans an area of about 5 hectares (equivalent to that of Tokyo Dome). Here, they cultivate grapes organically and refrain from using any pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They do not compromise on soil and opt to use homemade compost where possible thanks to their motto; ‘Delicious wine starts at the vineyard’. The time to harvest is determined by the sugar content of the grapes. I helped a little with harvesting the heavily ripened Chardonnay grapes. The skillful winemakers accentuate the deliciousness of the grapes to their maximum to further ensure the delicious, rich taste of Osaka wine.

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Address: 1104 Asuka, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-956-2020
Hours: Monday – Friday & Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Saturdays, public holidays
Price: Winery tour (reservation required), 4,500 yen per person *See the official website for more details https://www.asukawine.co.jp/

The market sells agricultural products grown with great care by local farmers and is usually packed with shoppers looking for fresh vegetables and fruits on weekdays and public holidays. Grapes are one of Habikino’s top specialty products, so in July to September; when the grapes are at their best, people line-up to get their hands on wide varieties of grapes such as Delaware, Kyoho, and Shine Muscat. Seasonal ingredients are sold at reasonable prices with the most popular ones selling out during the morning. Processed food and drink such as grape juice and dry fruits are also available – there is so much to choose from you might be at a loss for what not to buy!

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Address: 975-3 Hanyuno, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-957-6900 (general building)
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Thursdays, New Year Holidays

This bagel specialty store opened in 2021. About 16 varieties of their best bagels and about seven variations of bagel sandwiches are lined up at the store front. The bread dough is made from a domestically grown wheat called ‘Haruyutaka’. Haruyutaka is matured at a low temperature with wild yeast before being baked giving it it’s deliciously firm and chewy texture. Their most popular items are the ‘Soboro and Aojiso Bagel’ (seasoned ground meat with green perilla). The sweet and spicy ground meat goes amazingly well with the refreshing flavor of green perilla. Even on weekdays, this popular item is often sold out in the morning. Don’t miss out by visiting the shop during the morning.

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Address: 4-5-3 Furuichi, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - Until stocks last
Closed: Irregular holidays *See official Instagram page for our business hours

The Habikino City Cultural Property Exhibition Room is a reference room established in 2015 for the Furuichi Burial Mounds Group in preparation to being registered as a World Heritage Site. In addition to materials about ancient burial mounds and haniwa, you can also appreciate burial objects such as precious haniwa and glass beads excavated from the Furuichi Burial Mounds Group. Over 100 exhibits focusing around haniwa are displayed – it really is something to see large cylinder-shaped haniwa of over 160 centimeters or palm-sized ornaments up close. This is the only museum in Habikino City where you can see so many haniwa! Don’t miss out on your visit here to immerse yourself in bygone times.

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Address: 3-147 Hakucho, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-958-1111 (Habikino City Board of Education Cultural Property Division)
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, New Year holidays
Price: Free to view

You can experience making haniwa using clay in the center of the World Heritage Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group. Haniwa-making has been popular here in Konda, Kawachi since the Kofun period around 1,600 years ago with lots of haniwa being excavated from nearby burial mounds. I was surprised to find that I felt quite close to haniwa, something that I have only experienced in school textbooks previously Referring to a model, I kneaded, glued, and fully immersed myself into haniwa-making as if I was a child again. Making the holes for the eyes and mouth is an intense moment, but the real pleasure is that the originality comes out in how these marks are made. Finished! This is the only haniwa that looks like this in the world!

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Address: 3-22-21 Konda, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Telephone: 072-958-3344
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. *Haniwa-making experience starts at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Closed: Irregular
Price: Haniwa-making experience (reservation required), 1,870 yen per person *See the official website for more details.

I headed to the exotic atmosphere of MAISON INKO for lunch. The popular lunch course is offered on a first-come-first-served basis and comes with an array of colorful dishes brimming with Habikino ingredients. Enjoy a small amount of a variety of dishes and tastes, from seasonal vegetable appetizers, to pasta, main dishes, and desserts. You will no doubt be satisfied by the end! Homemade drinks and cakes are also available - I would love to stop by to try these another time. I enjoyed relaxing in their laid-back atmosphere.

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MAISON INCO
Address: 9-10-102 Sakaemachi, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-959-7380
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. *Take out only on Sundays
Closed: Mondays

Head west on the Japan Heritage Takenouchi-kaido to reach the Hakuchoryo Mausoleum. This is believed to be the mausoleum of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, and according to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), Yamato Takeru no Mikoto died in Ise on his way back from an expedition to various countries. He then transformed himself into a swan and flew down to this location, now known as the location for ‘Hakucho Densetsu’ (Swan Legend). What’s more, the appearance of flying high in the sky is said to be like pulling a feather’. The Japanese for this expression was shortened and became ‘Habikino’ – the origin of the city’s name. At one of the World Heritage Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group Furuichi Area you can see magnificent, lush green burial mounds over the surrounding moat. This is said to be a highly spiritual spot where Japan and World Heritage overlap.

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Address: 3-chome Karusato, Habikino-shi, Osaka

After fully enjoying a walk, why not take a break with a sweet snack? I had the cake designed to commemorate the registration of the ancient burial mound as a World Heritage Site. The refreshing keyhole-shaped white chocolate cake is filled with sweet and sour raspberry cream. Besides the ever-popular delicious signature sweet, ‘Madame Yoko’ with it’s a subtly sweet and the fluffy texture, I also enjoyed jams and dressings made from naturally grown fruits and shopping.

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Address: 2-73-1 Karusato, Habikino-shi, Osaka
Phone: 072-958-4444
Hours: Shop 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Cafe 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (last order by 4:00 p.m.), Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Lunch 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closed: Open all year round *Except New Year's Day