Secrets of Edo Japan Unearthed: Over 1,500 Ancient Bodies Discovered Beneath Osaka Streets
Imagine planning a shiny new skyline in Osaka with four skyscrapers on the horizon — only to find yourself tripping over a graveyard packed with more than 1,500 bodies. Yep, that’s exactly what happened when archaeologists stumbled upon the Umedahaka burial grounds beneath the bustling Kita Ward, a discovery so surreal it’s like unearthing a Civil War cemetery right under Times Square. Dating back to Japan’s Edo period (1603–1867), this forgotten necropolis reveals tales of everyday folk and perhaps victims of epidemic strife—buried side by side in mass pits and ornate coffins alike, complete with beads, coins, and even a Buddhist mortuary tablet. It makes you wonder: when old bones clash with modern ambitions, how do we honor history without killing progress? Well, turns out no skyscraper rises without a little archaeological diplomacy… Ready to dig deeper into this time capsule of lives long past? LEARN MORE.
The forgotten burial ground was discovered at a redevelopment site where four skyscrapers are slated to be built.
Osaka City Cultural Properties AssociationOne part of the cemetery held multiple bodies in each pit, while the other had people buried in wooden coffins or in urns after cremation.
Archaeologists in Osaka, Japan have unearthed a historic cemetery containing more than 1,500 bodies. According to Fox News, excavation surveys in Osaka’s Kita Ward began in 1991 — and the remarkable Umedahaka burial grounds have been dated to the Edo period between 1603 and 1867.
As noted in the City of Osaka’s press release, the almost three-decades-long project was a joint venture between the city’s board of education the Osaka Cultural Heritage Association. As it stands, researchers are hard at work at wading through the momentous finds — of which there’s no shortage.
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