Kitora Tomb

The mound itself takes two minutes. It is a neat grassy dome on a hillside south of Asuka, about 9.4 metres across at the top and 3.3 metres high, rebuilt to its original size in 2015 after the excavation and seen from a viewing lawn below. The interest is in what was found inside and where it is now.

In November 1983 a fibrescope pushed into the sealed chamber showed a black tortoise entwined with a snake painted on the north wall: Genbu, guardian of the north. Later surveys found the blue dragon of the east and white tiger of the west in 1998, then the red bird of the south and a set of zodiac figures with animal heads and human bodies in 2001. The ceiling carries a star chart, which Asuka village describes as the oldest surviving in East Asia. Kitora was only the second painted tomb of this kind found in Japan, after nearby Takamatsuzuka. Mould was attacking the plaster, so from 2004 the paintings were peeled off the stone, a job finished in 2010. They became a National Treasure in 2019.

They now live in the Kitora Tomb Mural Experience Hall, Shijin no Yakata, a free museum beside the tomb that opened in September 2016. The basement has a full-size replica of the chamber and high-resolution video, and gives you a good sense of how cramped the space is. On the ground floor the Agency for Cultural Affairs keeps the real murals and shows them during limited periods, free, with advance registration on its website and same-day places only if any are left. So far in 2026 they have run from 23 May to 21 June, the white tiger from 1 to 30 August, and the red bird, black tortoise and blue dragon together from 19 September to 18 October. Outside those weeks, you get the replicas.

Kitora is one of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, added to the World Heritage list on 26 July 2026. The big lawn next to the hall is a good place to eat a packed lunch; there is a shop but no cafe. The bus from Asuka Station has been suspended since 2022, so walk: 12 minutes from Tsubosakayama Station, or about 20 minutes from Takamatsuzuka.