A Royal Tomb on the Edge of the Abe Hills
On a spur of high ground in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, a long mound runs east to west along the lip of a low ridge. This is Mesuriyama Kofun, a keyhole-shaped burial mound built in the early fourth century, when the political centre of early Japan was taking shape across the southern part of the Nara Basin.
The figures recorded for the mound are substantial. It measures 224 metres in total length, with a circular rear section 128 metres across rising 19 metres high, and a squared front section 80 metres wide and 8 metres high. The front section points west, and the tomb was built without the surrounding moat that later kofun usually have. Range surveys in recent years found that the base of the mound lies buried under accumulated soil, and some researchers now place its original length closer to 250 metres.
The mound was raised in three tiers. Its sloping surfaces were faced with fist-sized river stones, and the flat terraces between the tiers carried rows of clay cylinders called haniwa. Together these gave the finished tomb a stepped, deliberately monumental profile that would have been visible for some distance across the plain.
Why the Tomb Matters
Mesuriyama belongs to the Tomimiyama group of mounded tombs, and is usually discussed alongside the nearby Sakurai Chausuyama Kofun. Both were built a little after the first great mounds of the basin, such as Hashihaka and Nishitonozuka, and both are read by archaeologists as the burial places of rulers at the head of the emerging Yamato polity. Mesuriyama was designated a National Historic Site on 14 March 1980.
What sets the tomb apart is the burial area uncovered during excavations carried out between 1959 and 1962 by the Nara prefectural and Sakurai municipal boards of education. At the centre of the rear mound, archaeologists found a pit-style stone chamber laid out along the mound's main axis. This main chamber, roughly 8 metres long, 1.35 metres wide and 1.76 metres high, held a wooden coffin of the split-log type. It had been disturbed by tomb robbers in the past, yet it still contained fragments of bronze mirrors, bracelet-shaped stone objects, and a remarkable set of jasper pieces shaped like miniature chairs, combs and lidded boxes.
A second, smaller chamber lay just east of the first, parallel to it. This one had never been opened. It was about 6 metres long and only 0.7 metres wide, roofed with stone slabs leaning together in an inverted V. No body had been placed inside. Instead it was packed with offerings: iron bows and arrows, jasper arrowheads, more than 210 iron spear tips, well over 200 bronze arrowheads, a jade staff, swords, and farming and woodworking tools. The objects had been stacked almost to the ceiling. The total recovered from the tomb exceeds 680 items, and the assemblage points to a person who held both ritual authority and military command. The grave goods were collectively designated an Important Cultural Property, and most are now kept at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara.
What to Look For on a Visit
Mesuriyama is one of the few burial mounds of this scale that visitors can actually climb. Most Japanese tombs longer than 200 metres are managed as imperial mausolea or candidate mausolea and are closed to the public. Here the path leads up through the trees to the top of the rear mound, a walk of only a few minutes despite the height.
At the summit, the reward is unusually direct. The ceiling stone of the main pit-style chamber lies exposed at your feet, something rarely visible at any kofun. Around the chamber you can still trace the rectangular earthen platform, roughly 11 by 5 metres, that once stood above the burial, edged by a low wall of stacked stone about a metre high.
The haniwa found here deserve particular attention. The terraces once held a row of 106 cylinders set close together like a fence, with larger cylinders and ones topped by pedestal-shaped pieces marking the corners and key points. The single largest stands 2.4 metres tall with a body diameter of about 0.9 metres, the biggest cylindrical haniwa known from anywhere in Japan. Its flaring rim and triangular cut-outs show a clear debt to the special pedestal vessels of the Kibi region, to the west around modern Okayama. The originals are not on the mound, but a model of the giant haniwa is displayed in the lobby of the Sakurai City Hall.
The mound is best visited between November and May. In summer the grass grows tall, and the area around the exposed ceiling stone, which sits in a slight hollow, becomes hard to see and easy to stumble on. The front section is given over to orchard and field, so visitors are asked to keep to the rear mound.
Around the Site
The route to the top passes through Yasaka Shrine, whose precinct sits against the mound itself; in local terms the kofun serves as the shrine's sacred body. The shrine makes a useful landmark, since the climbing path begins beside its hall of worship.
Sakurai Chausuyama Kofun, the companion royal tomb, lies about 1.7 kilometres to the northeast and can be reached on foot through the surrounding farmland. Walking south brings you to the great stone gateway of Tanzan Shrine, carved from local granite and standing some 8.5 metres high, which marks the old Sakurai-side approach to that mountain shrine. A short distance further sits Shorin-ji, a temple famous for its eighth-century standing image of the eleven-headed Kannon, a National Treasure. To see the excavated finds themselves, the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, a short train ride away, is the place to go.
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Q&A
- Can I go inside the stone chambers?
- No. The chambers were closed again after excavation. What you can see at the summit is the exposed ceiling stone of the main chamber and the outline of the earthen platform that stood above it. Even this much is unusual for a kofun.
- How long is the climb to the top?
- Only a few minutes. The path begins beside Yasaka Shrine and rises gently. It is an unpaved track rather than a steep trail, but watch your footing, especially in the hollow around the ceiling stone.
- Where can I see the giant haniwa and the other finds?
- Most of the excavated objects, designated an Important Cultural Property, are held at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara. A full-size model of the largest cylindrical haniwa is shown in the lobby of Sakurai City Hall.
- When is the best time to visit?
- Roughly November to May. Summer vegetation hides the ceiling stone and makes the footing harder to judge. Cooler months give clearer views of the mound's structure.
- Who was buried here?
- The occupant's name is not known. The scale of the mound and the weapons and ritual objects in the sealed second chamber suggest a ruler of the early Yamato polity who held both military and ceremonial authority. The tomb is not assigned to any named emperor.
Basic Information
| Name | Mesuriyama Kofun |
|---|---|
| Location | Takada and Uenomiya, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Historic Site (designated 14 March 1980) |
| Type | Keyhole-shaped mounded tomb, front section facing west |
| Period | Early fourth century (Early Kofun period) |
| Scale | Total length 224 m; rear mound 128 m across, 19 m high; front section 80 m wide, 8 m high; built in three tiers |
| Burial facilities | Main pit-style stone chamber (approx. 8 m long); sealed second chamber (approx. 6 m long) holding only grave goods |
| Excavated finds | Over 680 items, collectively designated an Important Cultural Property; mainly held at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara |
| Access | Climbing path begins beside Yasaka Shrine; rear mound open to visitors (front section is private orchard and field) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/2036
- Mesuriyama Kofun, Sakurai City Tourism Association
- https://sakuraikanko.com/remains/メスリ山古墳（桜井市高田） 国史跡/
- Large cylindrical haniwa from Mesuriyama Kofun, Nara Prefecture cultural resources database
- https://www.pref.nara.jp/miryoku/ikasu-nara/bunkashigen/main10404.html
- Mesuriyama Kofun, Sakurai City
- https://www.city.sakurai.lg.jp/kanko/isekibunkazai/kashiramoji/magyo/1394794818250.html
Last verified: 2026.05.26