What does the name Haniwa mean?
John Thompson
Updated on January 08, 2026
Haniwa (“clay cylinder” or “circle of clay” in Japanese) are large hollow, earthenware funerary objects found in Japan. Massive quantities of haniwa—many nearly life sized—were carefully placed on top of colossal, mounded tombs, known as kofun (“old tomb” in Japanese).
Whats the meaning of haniwa?
Definition of haniwa: large hollow baked clay sculptures placed on ancient Japanese burial mounds.