Japanese Kofun in Maps given by a Spaceborne Digital Elevation Model based on Multiple Satellite Data Sets

Here we stress the possibility to use maps from Spaceborne Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to analyze the locations of Kofun, the ancient tombs in Japan. Some of these tombs have the form of very large tumuli. The DEM used is that proposed by Yamazaki, Ikeshima, Tawatari, Yamaguchi, O'Loughlin, Neal, Sampson, Kanae and Bates, in 2017, and implemented at the web site https://it-ch.topographic-map.com . On Kofun and their orientation, a large literature in Japanese exists: we will give references about related archaeoastronomical studies too. Details about the burial chambers in the kofun having a keyhole-shape are given. The presence of two burial chambers inside is giving a direction coherent with the long axis of the tumulus. We will also recommend the reading of detailed discussions (in Italian), that have been provided by G. Poncini in the Enciclopedia dell' Arte Antica  (1995) and M. Hudson about archaeology in Japan 2002.