Q.Kitora and Takamatsuzuka murals: what makes them so special?

What kind of tombs are they?

Both Kitora and Takamatsuzuka are small round tombs in Asuka, Nara. They date to the Fujiwara Palace period (694–710 CE) — late-period tombs of the late 7th to early 8th century (Agency for Cultural Affairs / Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties). What they share is a set of vividly coloured, continental-style murals painted on the inner walls of the stone chamber. These are the only two tombs of this mural type confirmed in Japan, which is exactly why they are central to the story of the "Asuka-Fujiwara" capitals.

Top-tier on every count

Both tombs are designated National Special Historic Sites — Takamatsuzuka on 23 April 1973, and Kitora on 24 November 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties). The murals themselves are National Treasures: the Takamatsuzuka murals were designated on 17 April 1974, and the Kitora murals in 2019. In other words, both rank at the very top as historic sites and as works of art.

How do the two tombs differ?

They look alike, but their highlights differ. Takamatsuzuka is famous for the group of female figures on its west wall — the "Asuka Beauties" — and the 1972 discovery of its murals set off a nationwide "Asuka boom." Kitora, by contrast, is defined by its complete set of four guardian deities and the star chart on its ceiling. The table below lines up the designations, signature imagery and discovery years.

Kitora's complete four deities and its star chart

Inside Kitora's chamber the four deities are arranged by direction: the Azure Dragon to the east, the Vermilion Bird to the south, the White Tiger to the west and the Black Tortoise to the north. Because Takamatsuzuka's Vermilion Bird was lost to Kamakura-era looting, Kitora is the only tomb in Japan where all four survive (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties). The ceiling also bears a full astronomical chart with circles marking the celestial equator and ecliptic, a gold-leaf sun to the east, a silver-leaf moon to the west, and human-bodied, animal-headed zodiac figures below the deities. This star chart is among the oldest surviving full Chinese-style charts (the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it "the oldest surviving example in East Asia"), making it exceptionally valuable in the history of East Asian astronomy.

Where can you see the murals today?

After discovery, Takamatsuzuka's murals suffered serious deterioration including mould, so the stone chamber was dismantled, the murals removed, and restoration continued through fiscal 2019. They are now kept at the Agency for Cultural Affairs' conservation facility within Asuka Historical National Government Park, with special viewings a few times a year. Kitora's murals were likewise detached and are shown at the conservation facility inside "Shijin-no-Yakata" (the Kitora Tomb Mural Experience Hall). If you are curious about Nara's National Treasures more broadly, this site's National Treasures feature (/cultural-properties) lists them by municipality. Enjoy the tombs in the wider context of the Asuka-Fujiwara World Heritage story.

Datasets behind this article

• 文化財奈良文化財研究所

  Cultural Heritage Overview WebGIS (Nabunken)

  A WebGIS mapping roughly 680,000 archaeological sites and cultural properties nationwide. Visualizes the dense distribution of sites in the Asuka-Fujiwara area and around World Heritage components.

  💡Questions this data can answer

  How are archaeological sites distributed across Asuka, Kashihara and Sakurai?

  HTML

  Updated2026-08-23
• 文化財文化庁

  Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)

  The official database of cultural properties designated, registered, or selected by the Japanese government. Searchable by name, category, prefecture, designation type, owner, and period, with CSV export of search results. The primary source for a comprehensive view of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in Nara. Photos carry separate rights — treat only text data as reusable.

  💡Questions this data can answer

  How many National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties are in Nara?

  HTMLCSV

  Updated2026-08-23
• 世界遺産世界遺産「飛鳥・藤原」登録推進協議会

  Component Parts of the World Heritage “Asuka-Fujiwara”

  The official list of all 19 component parts of “Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan’s Ancient Capitals and Related Properties”, inscribed on July 26, 2026, at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea — including the Asuka Palace Site, Fujiwara Palace Site, Ishibutai Kofun and Kitora Kofun, each with name, location and designation date.

  💡Questions this data can answer

  What are the 19 component parts of Asuka-Fujiwara and where is each located?

  HTML

  Updated2026-08-23
• 世界遺産国土交通省

  National Land Numerical Information: World Cultural Heritage Data

  GIS polygons of World Heritage property areas and buffer zones in Japan, including three of Nara’s four inscribed sites — the base data for analyzing tourism circuits now that Asuka-Fujiwara has joined them.

  💡Questions this data can answer

  What are the exact boundaries of World Heritage properties and buffer zones in Nara?

  SHP

  Updated2026-08-23

Related reading

• Asuka — what makes it so remarkable?
• Asuka's tombs: what should you see?