Cremation mound - Kasozuka

Japanese: 火葬塚 - かそうづか

A facility established to commemorate the place of cremation. It is different in nature from a cremation tomb, where cremated bones are placed. In ancient and medieval times, the most formal funeral method was to use the cremation site as a cremation mound and place the remains in a separate tomb, and this was only allowed officially for the emperor and his close relatives. The Kijitsu Ryakugi (Kisji Ryakugi) (around the second half of the 12th century), which records the funeral procedures for emperors, retired emperors, and empresses, describes how to pile up earth on a cremation mound after removing the facilities at the cremation site, erect a stone stupa, set up nail-piercing gates, and dig ditches on all four sides.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

火葬場所を記念して設けた施設。火葬骨を納める火葬墓とは性格を異にする。古代･中世において，火葬場所を火葬塚とし，遺骨を別の墳墓に納める方式は最も格式の高い葬法であり，公式にこれを行えるのは天皇とその近親者に限られている。天皇･上皇･女院等の葬礼次第を記した《吉事略儀》(12世紀後半頃)には火葬塚について，貴所(火葬地)の施設を取り除いた後に土を盛ること，石卒都婆（いしそとば）を立てること，釘貫（くぎぬき）(木戸)をたて四面に溝を掘ることを記している。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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