KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — A giant seven-foot-five-inches-long (2.3m) ‘demon slaying’ sword that lay buried for more than 1,600 years has been found in Japan.

The iron weapon was uncovered in a tomb from the Tomio Maruyama burial mound in the ancient city of Nara, in southern Honshu, about six hours drive from Tokyo.

The weapon, known as a dako sword, is so large that it was likely never used for self-defence, serving instead as a means of protection against evil after death.

More than 80 demon-slaying swords have been found in Japan but this sword is by far the largest and oldest.

It was discovered with a two-foot-long (60cm) shield constructed from a bronze mirror in a 16-foot-long (4.8m) wooden coffin.

The presence of the two artefacts have led archaeologists to believe the individual in the tomb was an elite who may have been in the military, most likely an influential person who supported the rulers of the day, the imperial Yamato family.

The bronze mirror shield was also a significant find as it was the first ever discovered in a burial mound in Japan.

Shaped like a tortoise shell, it was found leaning diagonally to match the shape of the clay that covered the coffin lid.

In Japanese culture, mirrors are one of the most potent symbols of power, revered as sacred objects representing the gods.

It’s also believed that mirrors connect our world with the spiritual world.

Since last year, archaeologists have been excavating the burial mound that measures 350 feet (106m) in diameter and up to 32 feet (9.7m) high.

The distinctive tomb mound or kofun, after the Kofun period of Japanese history, was built between 300 AD and 710 AD.

The sword and shield were discovered last November.

The Nara prefecture’s Archaeological Institute of Kashihara announced the discovery on January 25.