Ishibutai Kofun

Introduction

Ishibutai sits beside the fields of Shimasho in Asuka village, a large corridor-chamber tomb of the seventh century generally identified as the grave of the powerful courtier Soga no Umako. What makes it singular is that the earth mound has long since washed away, leaving the entire stone chamber exposed: thirty-odd granite blocks form the entrance passage and burial chamber, weighing close to 2,300 tonnes in total, with a single roof slab of many tens of tonnes. Standing under that joint answers the question of how such stones were moved and fitted without cranes better than any panel does. The flat top looks like a stage, which is where the name Ishibutai, 'stone stage', comes from; Edo-period gazetteers already used it. With a ticket you can walk down the steps into the chamber, look up at the seams, see the drainage channel along the wall and the space once used for the burial, then circle the outside for the square base of the mound; both views matter. It belongs to the Ishibutai area of the Asuka Historical National Government Park, open 09:00-17:00 daily, and since 1 April 2026 admission is JPY 500 for adults and JPY 200 for primary, junior and senior high students, so older guides quoting JPY 300 are out of date. The surrounding valley holds the densest cluster of Asuka sites, with Asuka-dera, Oka-dera, Kameishi and Takamatsuzuka all within cycling distance. On autumn weekends the park lot is reserved for bicycles and motorbikes, so drivers need another space.

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