The park is located at the Shin’ike Historical Site, an excavation of a manufacture site (koba) for haniwa, terracotta figurines buried with the dead from between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. Later, the site was converted directly into Haniwa Koba Park. The site is the oldest and one of the largest haniwa koba in Japan: Haniwa made here were found at Imashirozuka Tumulus Tomb, which is believed to be the tomb of the 6th century Yamato king Keitai-Okimi. In use about 1,500 years ago, the manufacturing site is massive in scale and contained 18 kilns for firing the figurines, 3 structures where the figurines were formed, and the artisans’ residences. Preserving the history of this site while adding park amenities, the Haniwa Koba Park has much more to offer than its free admission would suggest—not only have the haniwa workshops and haniwa kilns (used for 450 years) been recreated, the excavated kilns themselves are on display at the Haniwa Koba Hall.