Eastern Foothills of Asuka: From the Man'yo Culture Complex to Oka-dera Temple, Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound, and the Inabuchi Rice Terraces

After exploring the Man'yoshu and the ancient culture of Asuka at the Nara Prefecture Complex of Man'yo Culture, head south along the eastern foothills of Asuka Village. This walking route visits Oka-dera Temple, known as Japan's first sacred site for warding off evil, the megalithic stone chamber of Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound, and finally extends to the Inabuchi Rice Terraces spread across the upper reaches of the Asuka River.

History and Regional Appeal

Asuka is said to preserve more Man'yo kochi, locations celebrated in the poetry of the Man'yoshu, than anywhere else in Japan. The Nara Prefecture Complex of Man'yo Culture stands on the site of the Asukaike Workshop Ruins, where metal goods, glass, and beads (tama) were manufactured during the Asuka period. Excavations uncovered uncompleted Fuhonsen coins and casting molds, revealing that Fuhonsen coins were produced here.

As you head from the complex toward the eastern foothills, you will find Oka-dera Temple midway up Mount Okayama. According to temple tradition, it was founded by the high priest Gien at the imperial behest of Emperor Tenji. To the south-southwest lies Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound, an Asuka-period burial mound built utilizing the gentle slope of the mountain's base. Although the person interred has not been definitively identified, the most widely supported theory is that it is the tomb of Soga no Umako.

Following the Asuka River further upstream leads to the Inabuchi Rice Terraces nestled in the mountainous area of Oku-Asuka. Reclaimed between the Heian and Muromachi periods, the area encompasses over 300 paddy and dry fields. Walking through the eastern side of Asuka Village allows visitors to trace the passage from Asuka-period temples and burial mounds to the pristine rural landscape preserved by human hands.

Key Highlights

• ​Nara Prefecture Complex of Man'yo Culture​​: In the basement Man'yo Theater, the personalities, emotions, and interpersonal relationships of poets are introduced through puppets and visual media based on poems from the Man'yoshu. Beneath the courtyard bridge, a portion of the workshop site from the Asukaike Workshop Ruins has been reconstructed to full scale in the condition it was excavated. The first floor features a guidance corner for the "Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara," and the observation lobby offers views of Mt. Miminashi and Mt. Amanokagu.
• ​Oka-dera Temple​​: The seventh temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, it is also known as Japan's first pilgrimage site for warding off evil. The main hall houses the principal image, a seated statue of Nyoirin Kannon measuring 4.85 meters in height, which is the largest clay statue (sozo) of a Buddhist deity in Japan. In front of the main hall is Ryugai-ike Pond, where legend holds that the high priest Gien sealed an evil dragon with a large stone.
• ​Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound​​: Its earthen mound no longer remains, leaving the ceiling of the stone burial chamber exposed. The chamber, assembled from over 30 megaliths, has an estimated total weight of about 2,300 tons. Of the two ceiling stones, the southern stone weighs approximately 77 tons, and visitors can look up at the stones overhead from inside the burial chamber.
• ​Inabuchi Rice Terraces​​: Terraced fields unfold along steep slopes ranging from 140 to 180 meters in elevation. Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields in 1999 (Heisei 11), it was also designated as a National Important Cultural Landscape in 2011 (Heisei 23) as the Cultural Landscape of Oku-Asuka. A kakashi (scarecrow) contest is held in September, and red spider lilies bloom along the terrace ridges and embankments in autumn.

Recommended Route and Travel Time

The required time is approximately 4 to 5 hours, covering an estimated walking distance of around 6 kilometers, including the return from Inabuchi to Ishibutai. From the east exit of Kintetsu Kashiharajingu-mae Station, take the Asuka Circular Bus (Akakame) bound for Asuka Station and get off after about 20 minutes at "Man'yo Bunka-kan Nishi-guchi," which is right near the complex. Begin on the first floor guidance corner, where videos, models, and panels explain the palaces, temples, and tomb sites of Asuka.

After exiting the complex, walk about 830 meters southeast toward Oka-dera Temple. En route, about 210 meters southeast of the complex, you will pass alongside the Sakafune-ishi Ruins. The approach to Oka-dera Temple is a very narrow path. From mid-April to early May each year, around 3,000 rhododendron bushes add vibrant color to the temple grounds.

About 570 meters south-southwest of Oka-dera Temple is Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound. In front of the mound stretches the flat land where the Asuka imperial palace once stood, with Mt. Nijo visible beyond. After viewing the mound, walk about 1.2 kilometers south-southwest to the Inabuchi Rice Terraces. It takes roughly 30 minutes on foot from the "Ishibutai" bus stop. The entrance to Kakashi Road is located below Kanjobashi Bridge crossing the Asuka River, and the Asakaze Pass Rice Terrace Observation Deck at the end provides a panoramic view of the terraced fields. Please do not enter the terraced fields without permission.

In Inabuchi, you can also see the Ozuna (male rope) strung across the Asuka River and road, as well as the stone bridge and stepping stones in the upper reaches of the Asuka River mentioned in the Man'yoshu. For the return trip, head back to the Ishibutai bus stop and catch the Akakame bus. The Akakame passing Ishibutai runs between the east exit of Kashihara-jingu-mae Station and Asuka Station.

Experience Summary

Encounter ancient poetry and daily life at the Man'yo Culture Complex, gaze up at the colossal clay Kannon statue at hillside Oka-dera Temple, and experience the immense weight of the megaliths at Ishibutai Kofun Burial Mound. Finally, take in the seasonal vistas of the terraced fields reclaimed between the Heian and Muromachi periods. Standing before the stepping stones across the Asuka River, imagine how the ancient people of the Man'yo era once crossed these very same waters.