On July 26, 2026, the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee (Busan, South Korea) inscribed the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara (Asuka Village, Kashihara and Sakurai, Nara Prefecture) on the UNESCO World Heritage List — Japan's 27th World Heritage site. Of its 19 components, 7 are kofun burial mounds. This map covers all seven, keeping official status (IHA attributions and heritage designations) distinct from the archaeological view, with sources.
Which burial mounds are actually part of the World Heritage site? These seven. Each card links to a detail page with finds, occupant debates and sources.
A Special Historic Site whose huge chamber is exposed after loss of the mound fill. The occupant is unknown, though the Asuka Historical National Government Park and Nara Prefecture both introduce the view that it is the tomb of Soga no Umako.
Visiting: Current guidance gives hours of 9:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:45, year-round. Check Asuka Historical National Government Park for current fees and changes. The chamber can be entered for a fee during opening hours.
A terminal-period tomb whose polychrome murals were discovered in 1972. The painted stones were removed with the dismantled chamber in 2007, conserved through fiscal 2019, and remain under Agency for Cultural Affairs management. The mound interior is closed; copies of the murals and a reconstruction model can be viewed at the Takamatsuzuka Mural Hall.
Visiting: The Takamatsuzuka area of Asuka Historical National Government Park is within walking distance of Kintetsu Asuka Station. Check current Agency for Cultural Affairs guidance for original-mural viewing periods and reservations.
A decorated tomb whose Black Tortoise mural was identified in 1983. The murals were detached from the chamber stones with their plaster layer for conservation; the chamber was then sealed and backfilled, and after provisional landscaping the mound has been open to visitors since 2016. Original murals are shown only during limited, advance-registration periods.
Visiting: Admission to Shijin-no-Yakata (Kitora Tumulus Mural Experiential Museum) is free. Check current guidance from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Asuka Historical National Government Park for original-mural viewing dates and applications.
Also known as: Nakaozuka
A terminal-period octagonal tomb at Hirata, Asuka. Known for its finely built chamber, it is included in the World Heritage property “Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara.”
Visiting: Visit in accordance with site protections and posted guidance.
Imperial Household Agency: Hinokuma-no-Ouchi-no-Misasagi (Mausoleum of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito)
Also known as: Mausoleum of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito
Managed as the joint mausoleum of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito and inscribed as a World Heritage component in 2026. The IHA Shoryobu reports about 37m across opposite sides. A Shoryobu bulletin survey report gives the archaeological-site name in a variant form that writes the middle element with the character for "great" instead of the one for "king".
Visiting: The IHA states that the worship area is about a 17-minute walk from Kintetsu Asuka Station. The mausoleum precinct is closed. The goryoin (mausoleum seal) is kept at the Unebi Mausolea Office in Kashihara, Nara, where visitors can use it free of charge (reception 8:30–17:00; staff may be unavailable on weekends, holidays, 29 Dec–3 Jan and some other days).
A terminal-period tomb in Kashihara (sources differ on the district: the Agency for Cultural Affairs database gives Gojono-cho, while the Nara Prefecture heritage database and the official World Heritage website give a different district name), noted for two house-shaped sarcophagi and included in the World Heritage property “Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara.”
Visiting: Visit in accordance with the National Historic Site's protected boundaries and posted guidance.
Also known as: Asagaozuka
A terminal-period octagonal mound with a two-room side-entry chamber. The discovery of the adjacent Koshitsuka-Gomon Kofun and its position as recorded in written accounts have drawn attention to an imperial-family hypothesis. It became a World Heritage component in 2026.
Visiting: The reconstructed mound and adjacent Koshitsuka-Gomon Kofun are open. Check current Asuka Village guidance for fees, hours, and chamber-viewing conditions.
A National Historic Site known for its finely dressed horizontal stone chamber. The mound is about 40m per side according to the 1978 Kashihara Archaeological Research Institute excavation (another Asuka Village description gives about 54m).
Visiting: Chamber access may change; check current Asuka Village guidance and on-site signs before entering.
A square mound known for its stepped stonework. Asuka Village's research has confirmed five stone-faced steps, and it has been proposed as the tomb of Soga no Iname.
Visiting: Follow current Asuka Village guidance for access and visitor routes. The mound lies south of Ishibutai Kofun.
The classic way to explore Asuka is by rental bicycle from Kintetsu Asuka Station (electric bikes available). All 7 kofun components fit comfortably into one day. If Ishibutai Kofun gets crowded, quieter Kengoshizuka Kofun and Nakaoyama Kofun are superb alternatives.
Many of the Asuka-Fujiwara components are archaeological remains preserved underground, and the sense that "there is nothing to see" has been regarded as a challenge ever since the inscription. The kofun are the exception: the mounds and stone chambers stand right in front of you, and some you can even walk into — the most "visible" World Heritage components of Asuka-Fujiwara. Each detail page on this map explains what was found at the site and what you can see there today, with sources.
On this map you can also use the free Kofun Book (visit log) to record your visits and complete all 7 World Heritage kofun of Asuka-Fujiwara. For the availability of goshuin seals and commemorative stamps on site, check official guidance such as the Asuka Village Tourism Association.