Chasuriyama Kofun: The Kinki Region's Largest Round Tumulus
Hidden among the gentle hills of northern Hyogo Prefecture, Chasuriyama Kofun (茶すり山古墳) rises like a green crown above the Wadayama Basin. This 1,500-year-old burial mound is the largest round tumulus in the Kinki region and the fourth largest in all of Japan. Once almost lost to a highway construction project, this remarkable archaeological site was carefully preserved and now offers visitors an extraordinary window into the political and ceremonial world of fifth-century Japan. Surrounded by mountains and accessible by a quiet rural road, the site rewards travelers who venture beyond the famous tourist routes with a powerful sense of history written directly into the landscape.
What Makes Chasuriyama Kofun So Remarkable
Chasuriyama Kofun is a large circular burial mound built in the early fifth century, during the middle Kofun period. Located on the tip of a narrow ridge at an elevation of about 144 meters, the mound measures roughly 90 meters in diameter on its long axis and 78 meters on its short axis, with a height of 18 meters. It was constructed in two terraced tiers, a design that gave it both visual grandeur and ritual prominence over the surrounding plain.
The summit features a wide, oval-shaped flat platform measuring about 36 meters east to west and 30 meters north to south. Originally, rows of cylindrical haniwa clay figures and asagao-shaped (morning-glory-mouth) haniwa encircled this platform, and remnants of stone facing called fukiishi can still be observed on the northeastern slope. Although a small fortress built atop the mound during the sixteenth century disturbed much of the original surface, careful excavation has allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the tumulus's original appearance with striking clarity.
A Highway That Changed Course for History
The story of Chasuriyama Kofun's modern preservation is itself remarkable. In 2001, the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education conducted excavations along the planned route of the Kita-Kinki Toyooka Expressway. What they uncovered so vastly exceeded expectations that engineers and cultural authorities agreed to alter the highway's path. Rather than removing the mound, they redirected the road to safeguard one of Japan's most significant archaeological discoveries of the early twenty-first century.
Excavations carried out between 2000 and 2002 revealed two burial chambers on the summit. The larger first chamber, positioned slightly south of center, contained a composite box-shaped wooden coffin 8.7 meters long, divided internally into compartments for the body and for grave goods. The smaller second chamber to the north held a 4.8-meter coffin. Both burials had remained completely undisturbed for some 1,500 years, an extraordinarily rare circumstance that allowed researchers to recover an unprecedented quantity of artifacts in their original positions.
Why It Was Designated a National Historic Site
Chasuriyama Kofun was designated a National Historic Site of Japan on February 27, 2004, in recognition of its scale, its preservation, and the wealth of information it has yielded about the formative years of the ancient Japanese state. The artifacts excavated from the two burial chambers were further designated as National Important Cultural Property on June 19, 2013.
The combined grave goods from both chambers include four bronze mirrors, more than 2,000 magatama curved beads and tubular beads, two complete sets of armor, seven shields, eighty-five swords, spears, and other weapons, four hundred iron arrowheads, and over eighty agricultural and craft tools. Among the most significant finds is a triangular-plate leather-laced short armor with a neck guard (sankakuita kawatoji eritsuki tanko), the first of its type ever discovered outside the central Kinai region. An iron-handled hand axe and a ring-pommel sword of Korean origin further demonstrate that the person buried here had close ties to both the Yamato court and the international networks of East Asia.
This combination of local construction traditions and elite imported goods makes Chasuriyama a key site for understanding how regional chieftains in fifth-century Japan negotiated their relationship with the emerging central authority of the Yamato polity.
Highlights for Visitors
The site is now maintained as Chasuriyama Kofun Historic Park (Shiseki Chasuriyama Kofun Koen). A straight stairway climbs the mound's western flank to the broad summit, where the entire grass-covered structure has been thoughtfully restored to evoke its appearance during the Kofun period. The well-tended turf, gentle curves, and panoramic views of the Wadayama Basin make this a strikingly beautiful place to walk, especially in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon.
From the top, visitors can see far across the basin, and on clear days the famous mountaintop ruins of Takeda Castle are visible in the distance. The contrast between the ancient burial mound and the iconic medieval citadel offers a vivid sense of how this corner of Japan has remained a strategic crossroads for more than fifteen centuries.
At the foot of the mound, the small Chasuriyama Kofun Learning Hall (free admission) introduces the site through video presentations, panel exhibitions, and pamphlets. Although modest in scale, it provides essential context for appreciating what visitors will see when they climb to the summit. Restrooms are available within the facility.
The Surrounding Area
Chasuriyama Kofun sits at the heart of one of Japan's richest archaeological landscapes. The Wadayama and Santo basins together contain approximately 1,400 burial mounds of various sizes, including Ikeda Kofun, the largest keyhole-shaped tumulus on the Sea of Japan side of the country during the middle Kofun period.
The artifacts excavated from Chasuriyama itself are housed at the Asago City Buried Cultural Property Center "Kodai Asago-kan" (Ancient Asago Hall), located approximately 850 meters from the mound. A visit here is essential for fully understanding the discoveries, as visitors can see the actual armor, weapons, mirrors, and beads that once accompanied the powerful figure entombed at Chasuriyama.
The wider Asago region is best known internationally for Takeda Castle, the so-called "Castle in the Sky" whose stone walls famously emerge from a sea of clouds on autumn mornings. The historic silver-mining town of Ikuno, the natural beauty of Ritsuunkyo gorge, and the Awaga Shrine, an ancient sanctuary mentioned in eighth-century records, all lie within easy driving distance.
Access and Practical Information
Chasuriyama Kofun is located in Tsutsue, Wadayama-cho, in Asago City. The site sits adjacent to the Kita-Kinki Toyooka Expressway, with a small visitor parking area accommodating roughly two cars at the foot of the mound. Many visitors choose instead to park at the nearby Michi-no-Eki Asago roadside station, which has ample parking and shares a site with the Kodai Asago-kan museum, then walk a short distance to the mound. The roadside station also has restrooms, a shop selling local produce, and informal dining options.
By car, the site is approximately ten minutes from the Yabu Interchange or the Wadayama Interchange on the Kita-Kinki Toyooka Expressway. By train, the closest stations are Wadayama or Yoka on the JR San'in Main Line and Bantan Line, from which a taxi or rental car is the most convenient option. Stout walking shoes are recommended, as the climb to the summit, though short, involves a flight of steps.
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Q&A
- Is there an admission fee to visit Chasuriyama Kofun?
- No. Both the historic park itself and the adjacent Chasuriyama Kofun Learning Hall are free of charge and open year-round.
- How long should I plan for a visit?
- A focused visit to the mound and the Learning Hall takes about forty-five minutes to one hour. If you also visit the Kodai Asago-kan museum to view the original artifacts, allow another forty-five minutes to one hour.
- Can I see the original burial chambers and grave goods at the site?
- The burial chambers themselves are protected beneath the restored mound and are not open to the public. The actual artifacts—including armor, swords, mirrors, and beads—are displayed at the Kodai Asago-kan museum nearby.
- When is the best time to visit?
- Spring and autumn offer the most pleasant weather and the best views across the basin. Early morning visits are particularly atmospheric, and pairing the trip with a sunrise visit to nearby Takeda Castle is a popular itinerary in autumn.
- Who is believed to be buried in the tumulus?
- The identity of the deceased is not known, but the scale of the mound and the abundance of weapons, armor, and prestigious imported goods strongly suggest a powerful regional chieftain who governed Tajima province and maintained close ties with the Yamato court of central Japan.
Basic Information
| Name | Chasuriyama Kofun (茶すり山古墳) |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Historic Site of Japan (designated February 27, 2004); Excavated artifacts designated National Important Cultural Property (June 19, 2013) |
| Location | Tsutsue, Wadayama-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Period | Early to middle fifth century (Middle Kofun period) |
| Type | Large circular tumulus (enpun), two-tier construction |
| Dimensions | Approximately 90 m (long axis) × 78 m (short axis); height 18 m |
| Burial chambers | Two: First Principal Chamber (8.7 m wooden coffin) and Second Principal Chamber (4.8 m wooden coffin) |
| Excavation | 2000–2002, by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education |
| Facilities | Chasuriyama Kofun Historic Park; Chasuriyama Kofun Learning Hall (free admission) |
| Related museum | Asago City Buried Cultural Property Center "Kodai Asago-kan" (Ancient Asago Hall) |
References
- 茶すり山古墳 - 文化遺産オンライン (Cultural Heritage Online, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/140224
- 兵庫県茶すり山古墳出土品 - 文化遺産オンライン
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/292449
- 近畿最大級の円墳 茶すり山古墳 - 朝来市公式ホームページ
- https://www.city.asago.hyogo.jp/site/kyoiku/1163.html
- 茶すり山古墳 - 朝来市観光協会
- https://asago-kanko.com/spot/9642
- 茶すり山古墳 - Wikipedia
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/茶すり山古墳
Last verified: 2026.05.06