# Takamatsuzuka Tomb

> A small round tomb from the late 7th or early 8th century where painted murals of court women and men, the guardian animals of the directions and a star chart were found in 1972. The murals were taken out in 2007 to save them from mould, so the mound you see is a restoration. The Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum next door (300 yen) shows copies. One of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara World Heritage property, 12 minutes on foot from Asuka Station.

- Prefecture: Nara
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Asuka, Nara, Japan
- Admission: 300 yen
- Official site: https://www.asukabito.or.jp/hekigakan.html

On 21 March 1972 archaeologists opened a small stone chamber in a hillside in Asuka and found its plastered walls painted in colour: a star chart on the ceiling, the sun and moon, the guardian animals of the directions, and groups of men and women in court dress. Japan had never found anything like it, and the find set off what the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls an archaeology boom. The women on the west wall, nicknamed the Asuka beauties, are still the image most Japanese know from this period. The murals are a National Treasure and the tomb a Special Historic Site.

What you see on the spot is quieter. The tomb is a two-tier round mound, 23 metres across at the base, built in the late 7th or early 8th century. Nobody knows who lay in the chamber, which is only about 2.6 metres long and 1.1 metres high; the museum's operator thinks a prince connected to Emperor Tenmu is most likely. Mould kept damaging the paintings, so in 2007 the chamber stones were lifted out with the murals on them. Restoration finished in 2020, and the mound has been rebuilt in its original shape. There is nothing to go inside.

For the paintings, use the Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum, about a minute's walk away. It shows full-size copies made in the 1970s, one recording the walls as found and one with flaking and stains filled in, a reproduction of the west-wall women painted on plaster over tuff, a model of the chamber, and replicas of the grave goods, including a bronze mirror whose pattern matches one from a Chinese tomb of 698. Allow about 20 minutes. It is old-fashioned and a little dim, and worth it.

The real murals are kept in a restoration facility in the park. A few times a year, usually for about a week, the Agency for Cultural Affairs opens it to visitors who apply in advance; you look through glass and can borrow a magnifier.

Takamatsuzuka is one of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, added to the World Heritage list on 26 July 2026. Nakaoyama Kofun, another of the 19, is just north, and Kitora Tomb is about 20 minutes' walk south. The park's visitor centre near the tomb closed in April 2026 for rebuilding and is not due to reopen until around 2030.

## FAQ

### Can I see the original Takamatsuzuka murals?

Only on a few public viewing days. The murals were removed from the tomb in 2007 and are kept in a restoration facility in the park. A few times a year, usually for about a week, the Agency for Cultural Affairs lets in visitors who apply in advance on its website; you look through glass. The rest of the time, the copies in the Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum are what you can see.

### Can you go inside the tomb?

No. The chamber stones were taken out in 2007 and the mound was rebuilt in its original two-tier shape. You see it from outside, which takes a few minutes. For a chamber you can walk into, go to Ishibutai Kofun.

### How much is the Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum, and how long does it take?

300 yen for adults, 130 yen for high school and university students and 70 yen for primary and junior high pupils. It is open 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30, and the operator suggests about 20 minutes. It closes from 29 December to 3 January and on the second Monday of April, July, November and February.

### Can I combine Takamatsuzuka with Kitora Tomb?

Yes, on foot or by bicycle. The loop bus branch from Asuka Station to Kitora has been suspended since 1 December 2022. Kitora Tomb and the free Shijin no Yakata museum are about 20 minutes' walk south, or a short bicycle ride. From Kitora, Tsubosakayama Station is about 12 minutes on foot, so you can walk in from one station and out to the other.

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Source: Takamatsuzuka Tomb — Japan Voyage