An imperial mausoleum at Kurihara, Asuka Village, Takaichi District, Nara Prefecture, managed by the IHA as the tomb of Emperor Monmu, the 42nd emperor. According to Asuka Village, the mausoleum lies in a wooded grove south of Takamatsuzuka Kofun, and the raised mound can be glimpsed among the trees through gaps in the hedge.
Finds & research
According to Asuka Village, a horizontal stone chamber opening to the south once stood at the site but was destroyed by local people and the land was turned into a field. Grave goods are not known from published sources.
Official status & archaeological view
Official status
Managed by the IHA as the mausoleum of Emperor Monmu, the 42nd emperor; the official form is a hill-form tumulus.
Attribution (jitei): the Imperial Household Agency's determination of whose tomb it manages — separate from heritage designation.
Archaeological view
Asuka Village describes a circular rise about 28 m in diameter and 2 m high at the present site, which it considers a restoration begun in 1864 after the original tomb was destroyed. The figure of about 28 m given above describes the present rise. The village considers Nakaoyama Kofun, to the north, a strong candidate for Emperor Monmu’s burial.
Field notes
Per the IHA, it is about a 16-minute walk from Kintetsu Asuka Station, and worship is generally possible year-round from 8:30 to 17:00. 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). Nearby imperial mausolea: Umeyama Kofun (Mausoleum of Emperor Kinmei)↗ and Noguchi-no-o-no-haka Kofun (Mausoleum of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito)↗.