It takes about 1 hour to Asuka Village via the Kintetsu Train from Kintetsu Nara Station located in central Nara, and about 40 minutes via the limited express train from Osaka Abenobashi Station.

When you get out at the station square, you can stop by the Asukabito-no-Yakata for tourist information of Asuka Village.

Our main reason to head here first is to get our Asuka Kingdom Passport (100 yen, tax included)! This includes a booklet of route information and landmarks for easy and convenient travel around the sightseeing spots of the village, as well as discount tickets for tourist facilities, temples, and shrines.

This is the number one recommended book you will want to bring along in order to make the most of your trip!

The area where Asuka Village is located is also designated as Asuka Historical National Government Park. This is divided into five main points of interest: the Takamatsuzuka area, the Ishibutai area, the Amakashi-no-Oka area, the Iwaido area, and the Kitora Tumulus area, which is being expanded as for future tourism.

Because of the expansiveness of the area, it is recommended to get around by bike rather than walking. You can easily rent one at Asuka Rent-a-Cycle (Asuka Station-Front Branch), located in the same station at the square. Because there are many hilly areas and slopes, the electric bike is highly recommended.

The rental fees for normal bicycles are 900 yen on weekdays, and 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays. Electric bicycles are all priced at 1,500 yen. (All prices include tax). Business hours are from 9:00AM to 5:00PM, so make sure to note the return time!

The first stops on the list are the Takamatsuzuka Tombs, and the Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum, located abut 10 minutes away from the Station Square by bicycle. Pedal along as you take in the passing landscape of trees, fields, and rice paddies, and enjoy the refreshing breeze!

The Takamatsuzuka Tombs were discovered in 1962, when villagers were digging in the soil to preserve ginger. It is a round, two-tiered burial mound built between year 694 and 710.

The bodies buried here have not been identified, however there are three theories that it is the tomb of either Emperor Tenbu, Isonokami no Maro, who served as Minister of the Yamato Court, or the Royal Family from the Korean Peninsula.

There is a room in the inner part of the burial mound, and according to a 1972 archaeological survey, this is where the colorful mural in the hall was discovered. The original mural has been transferred to a different facility for preservation, however the Takamatsuzuka Mural Museum next to the tombs has an elaborate replica of this mural on display. Which is our next destination!

On each of the North, South, East, and West walls are murals depicting the four mythical gods of China: Genbu, Seiryu, Byakko, and Suzaku.

Unfortunately, the painting of Suzaku that decorated the south wall is said to have been stolen. The Mural Museum displays replicas of not only this four-sided mural, but other items found at the mounds such as funeral materials. While we received special permission to take the photos seen here, photography is generally prohibited at the halls.

The most famous painting of the Takamatsuzuka burial grounds is the painting of the “group of men and women.” Out of the entire painting, the four women stand out the most with their vivid coloring and elegant atmosphere, and are called the “Beauties of Asuka”

A painting so vivid you can practically hear the breath and laughter of the women. Suddenly 1400 years ago doesn’t seem so far away.

Along with the burial grounds, Asuka Village is also home to several mysterious megalithic stones and their legends, such as Sakafuneishi (“Saka Boat Stone”) and Oni no Manaita (“the devil’s cutting board”). Kameishi, or the “tortoise stone,” is one of them, and is a 15-minute bike ride from the Takamatsuzuka Tomb.

Kameishi is a huge granite stone with a sculpting said to resemble a face carved into the front. The stone is believed to have originally been facing the north, yet for reasons unknown, now faces south-west. Legend says that should the stone ever turn to face the west, the entire Yamato Country (currently the Nara basin) would sink into a sea of mud.

It’s almost impossible to imagine such a terrifying legend coming true from the serene image of the stone sitting quietly in the sun. Let’s hope that the tortoise will keep its peace, and not turn to face any other direction!

About 15 minutes by bicycle from Kameishi is the Ishibutai Kofun, Japan’s largest burial mound. There are records showing that Soga no Umako, a powerful politician of the Asuka Period who lived during the same time as Prince Shotoku, used to live in this area. It is believed to be his grave.

Though most burial mounds are filled with earth, Ishibutai has a unique shape exposing a huge tunnel-style stone burial chamber (a stone tomb attached to the passage that leads to the chamber where the corpses are stored). Ishibutai (literally “stone stage”) was given its name long ago, as the surface of the ceiling stone is wide and flat, resembling a stage.

The two large stones on the top have an estimated weight of 64t (the left stone, north side), and 77t (right stone, south side). The total weight of all 30 stones that form the burial mound is said to be about 2300 tons!

It is estimated to have been built around the beginning of the 7th century, when naturally, there were no cranes or any other sort of transportation vehicles. Yet these huge stones were somehow carried by human strength, showing the height of civil engineering and transportation technology available at the time.

You can actually enter the Ishibutai burial mound. I’m so curious, I must go inside right away!

The inside room is called Genshitsu, and is believed to have stored firewood long ago. The room is about 4.8m high, 7.6m long, and 3.5m wide. The stone all the way at the top is the largest megalith of Ishibutai Kofun. A faint light slips through the cracks.

While no stone coffins have been found by excavation, only fragments of stone coffins have.

Ishibutai is a famous burial ground, yet is is overwhelmed with the power of the megaliths. After entering the strong, solemn atmosphere of the Genshitsu Burial Chamber myself, I also feel to have been given some of that mysterious power.

I decided to try out some local kodaimai, or “ancient wild rice,” for lunch at a place very reminiscent of these historical ruins. Kodaimai is a type of rice that has inherited the characteristics of wild rice, which is the original ancestor seed of the rice we eat today.

About 5 minutes on foot from the Ishibutai burial mounds, you can try the same ancient wild rice that Prince Shotoku himself enjoyed at Traditional Local Food Restaraunt Yumeichi Chaya.

The homemade dishes prepared by the local housewife of the shop are known to be delicious, and amongst these, the recommended one to try is the Kodaimai Gozen, or “Ancient Wild Rice Emperor’s Meal” (1,080 yen, tax included).

This meal set brings 7 dishes in small plates and bowls with a focus on the ancient wild rice, including fried chicken, and cooked and boiled seasonal, locally grown vegetables. There is also a homemade, soy sauce simmered ginger dish, and a dessert of local strawberry blends called “Asuka Ruby.”

The moment I took my first bite, I tasted the light and fluffy texture of the rice and its delicious sweetness. Accompanying the rice was the shop’s handmade “godofu,” a tofu dish that is also well-liked by customers.

It has a sticky texture and a rich taste, which you will want to eat to your heart’s content. It is not offered as a separate menu item, nor can it be bought as a souvenir, so it is a very special kind of tofu that can only be enjoyed with this dish.

There are other homemade menu items available, such as Kodaimai Curry (860 yen, tax included), and Kodaimai Onigiri (Rice Balls) (360 yen for two, tax included). Please give them a try as well!

If you have time to spare, head to Asuka Temple next, which is about a 15 minute bike ride away from Ishibutai Kofun. This temple was built at the request of Soga no Bako, who wanted to preserve Buddhism, and is the first full-fledged Buddhist temple in Japan, built around year 596 over the course of about 8 years.

When it was first built, it was a large scale temple with three main halls around a central tower, and a corridor extending around the outside. Construction involved many engineers from the state of Baekje on the Korean Peninsula.

With them came the spread of Buddhism, including other related skills, arts, and other such parts of the new Asian culture at the time, leading to the construction of more temples around the world. The Asuka Temple is also the first building in Japan to use tiles to construct the roof.

The oldest Buddha in Japan is known as the Asuka Daibutsu (Great Buddha), and is located inside the main hall. This Great Buddha statue was made under the orders of Empress Suiko, the first female to become Empress in Japan, Prince Shotoku, and Soga Umako. It was constructed by a famous sculptor of the time, Kuratsukuri no Tori.

Compared to other Japanese Buddha statues, this one appears to have a slightly higher nose and is rather slender, due to the influences of the Korean Peninsula and China. An interesting thing to note is its changing expression, which appears stern when viewed from the right, and gentle when viewed from the left.

Asuka Daibutsu has remained sitting in the same spot for 1400 years. Perhaps Empress Suiko and Prince Shotoku also came to worship back then in the same way we do today.

There are also various artifacts such as tiles displayed in the Temple. After taking a look at these, go about 70m from the west gate of the temple grounds to see the Gorinto, or five-ringed pagoda. Another name for it is Iruka no Kubidzuka, or the “Mound of Soga no Iruka’s Head.”

Iruka refers to Soga no Iruka, a grandson of Soga no Bako, who is said to be buried in the Ishibutai burial grounds. The legend says that when “The Isshi Incident” suddenly occurred at the Imperial Palace Asuka Itabuki-no-Miya, which was about 500 m south of Asuka Temple, Soga no Iruka was attacked by Prince Naka-no-Ooe and Nakatomi-no-Katamari, his head was sliced off and flew all the way to this spot.

Since then, the political movement carried out by Prince Naka-no-Ooe, The Taika Reform, became a well-known event.

There were many other visitors during the time of our trip, including school trips, tourist groups, and individual travelers. The more I learned, the more the way I looked at things also changed. Along with the magnificent temples of Kyoto and Nara, this is another Temple you will want to visit no matter what!

It took only 20 minutes by bicycle from Asuka Temple back to our Asuka Station starting point.

Asuka Village, now a place of expansive, tranquil scenery, despite being the center of Japan, the home of the Emperor, and a place for politics 1400 years ago. The imperial era in the middle of the Asuka Era was named “Taika,” and by the end of that period, came to be called “Japan.” And in the present 248th era, now called “Reiwa,” it is the perfect time to take a trip to Asuka Village and experience this dynamic history.