Mimizuka

The Mimizuka (耳塚, "Ear Mound" or "Ear Tomb"), which was renamed from Hanazuka (鼻塚, "Nose Mound"), is a monument in Kyoto, Japan. It is dedicated to the sliced noses of killed Korean soldiers and civilians, as well as those of Ming Chinese troops, taken as war trophies during the Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592 to 1598. The monument enshrines the severed noses of at least 38,000 Koreans and over 30,000 Chinese killed during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions. The shrine is located just to the west of Toyokuni Shrine, the Shinto shrine honoring Hideyoshi in Kyoto. History Traditionally, Japanese warriors brought back the heads of enemies slain on the battlefield as proof of their deeds. Nose collection in lieu of heads became a feature of the second Korean invasion....