Where Are the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara? Map of All 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2026.

The property is not a single palace, temple or burial mound. It consists of 19 archaeological component sites spread across Asuka Village, Kashihara City and Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture, Japan.

Some of the best-known sites include Ishibutai Mounded Tomb, Kitora Mounded Tomb and Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb. However, it can be difficult to understand how all 19 sites relate to one another without seeing them on a map.

This guide shows where the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara are located, their relationship to Osaka and Nara, and the locations of all 19 World Heritage component sites using an original Google My Map and individual maps.

Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara inscribed as World Heritage

Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2026 at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea.

It became Japan’s 27th World Heritage property and its 22nd cultural property on the World Heritage List.

Official UNESCO name	Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara
Location	Asuka Village, Kashihara City and Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, Japan
Category	Cultural World Heritage
Year of inscription	2026
Component sites	19
UNESCO criteria	(ii) and (iii)
Property area	137.99 hectares
Buffer zone	1,127.93 hectares

According to UNESCO, the 19 component parts contain archaeological evidence from the Asuka Capital, which existed from 588 to 694 CE, and the Fujiwara Capital, which existed from 694 to 710 CE.

The property illustrates how Japan established a centralised state system influenced by the Chinese codified law known as ritsuryō.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara / UNESCO World Heritage properties in Japan

Where are the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara?

The 19 component sites are located in the southern part of the Nara Basin, mainly in Asuka Village and Kashihara City, with Yamada-dera Temple Site located in Sakurai City.

The area lies southeast of central Osaka and south of Nara City. It should not be confused with the famous Nara Park and Tōdai-ji Temple area in central Nara City.

 

The principal railway gateways include Asuka Station, Kashiharajingu-mae Station, Unebi-goryō-mae Station and Yamato-Yagi Station on the Kintetsu Railway network.

Map of all 19 World Heritage component sites

We created an original Google My Map to show all 19 component sites together.

The numbered markers correspond to the official component-site order used by the Asuka-Fujiwara World Heritage Council.

The markers indicate approximate locations or useful reference points for visitors. They do not show the precise boundaries of the inscribed World Heritage property.

The map shows that the component sites are not contained within a single enclosed archaeological park. They extend north and south through Kashihara and Asuka, with Yamada-dera Temple Site located farther east in Sakurai.

Why were Asuka and Fujiwara inscribed as World Heritage?

The significance of Asuka and Fujiwara lies in the way the archaeological sites record the formation of an early centralised Japanese state.

Political institutions, Buddhism, temple construction, capital planning, gardens, timekeeping systems and burial practices developed through interaction with China and the Korean Peninsula.

These ideas were not simply copied. They were gradually adapted into distinctive Japanese forms, including the layout of the capitals and the octagonal burial mounds associated with imperial authority.

The 19 components can be grouped into three broad categories:

• Palaces and government-related sites: five components
• Buddhist temple sites: seven components
• Mounded tombs: seven components

Together, these sites illustrate the introduction and consolidation of early centralised government and the influence of Asuka and Fujiwara on later Japanese capitals, including Nara and Kyoto.

Source: Asuka-Fujiwara World Heritage Council: Component Parts

Complete list of the 19 component sites

Maps and descriptions of the 19 component sites

1. Asuka Palace Site

Asuka Palace Site preserves the remains of four successive seventh-century palaces: Asuka Okamoto-no-miya, Asuka Itabuki-no-miya, Nochi-no-Asuka Okamoto-no-miya and Asuka Kiyomihara-no-miya.

The site served as an imperial residence as well as a place for government affairs and official ceremonies. It was also associated with major events in early Japanese history, including the Isshi Incident of 645.

2. Asuka Pond Garden Site

This archaeological garden lies northwest of Asuka Palace Site. It was created during the reign of Empress Saimei in the mid-seventh century and remained in use through the period of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito.

Its stone-lined ponds and water features show both East Asian influence and early forms that contributed to the later development of Japanese gardens.

3. Asuka Water Clock Site

Asuka Water Clock Site contains the remains of Japan’s oldest known water-clock facility, believed to have been constructed in 660.

The stepped water-clock system illustrates the introduction of continental technology and an official system for measuring and announcing time.

4. Sakafuneishi Ritual Site

Sakafuneishi Ritual Site is a mid-seventh-century ritual complex northeast of Asuka Palace. It includes stone walls, the carved stone known as Sakafuneishi, a turtle-shaped stone basin and a spring-water facility.

The precise use of Sakafuneishi remains uncertain, but the wider complex is thought to have been associated with water rituals performed under imperial authority.

5. Asuka-dera Temple Site

Asuka-dera Temple Site preserves the remains of Japan’s first Buddhist temple with a full-scale temple complex, completed in 596.

The present temple, formally known as Ango-in and commonly called Asuka-dera, stands around the former central main-hall area. The Asuka Great Buddha remains at the site.

6. Tachibana-dera Temple Site

Tachibana-dera is believed to have been founded in the early seventh century. Archaeological and written evidence indicates that it was among Japan’s early Buddhist nunneries.

Although the temple was damaged by fires and subsequently rebuilt, a functioning temple remains at the site today.

7. Yamada-dera Temple Site

Yamada-dera Temple was founded in the mid-seventh century by Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawamaro.

Part of its eastern corridor was excavated in the condition in which it collapsed. The preserved architectural components provide rare evidence of a style older than the surviving wooden buildings at Horyu-ji.

8. Kawara-dera Temple Site

Kawara-dera is believed to have been constructed by Emperor Tenji in memory of his mother, Empress Saimei, on or near the former Kawahara Palace.

Its one-pagoda and two-main-hall layout illustrates the development of temple design in Japan. The present Kofuku-ji temple occupies part of the historic site.

9. Hinokuma-dera Temple Site

Hinokuma-dera Temple Site is associated with the Yamatonoaya clan, a powerful immigrant-lineage community with strong connections to continental East Asia.

Its distinctive layout and tiled podium demonstrate architectural connections with Buddhist temples on the Korean Peninsula.

10. Ishibutai Mounded Tomb

Ishibutai is a large square burial mound measuring approximately 50 metres on each side. Much of the earthen mound has disappeared, leaving its enormous stone chamber exposed.

It is often described as the possible tomb of the powerful statesman Soga no Umako. However, the identity of the person buried here has not been conclusively established.

11. Shobuike Mounded Tomb

Shobuike Mounded Tomb was constructed on a southern slope west of the Asuka Basin in the mid-seventh century.

Two house-shaped stone coffins are preserved inside its stone chamber. Its square mound and burial facilities suggest that it was constructed for individuals of high status.

12. Kengoshizuka Mounded Tomb

Kengoshizuka is a late-seventh-century octagonal burial mound. Its design incorporated continental ideas while developing them into a distinctive form associated with imperial authority in Japan.

The tomb has been proposed as the burial place of Empress Saimei and her daughter, Princess Hashihito, but this identification should be treated as a theory rather than a confirmed fact.

13. Fujiwara Palace Site

Fujiwara Palace was the political centre of Fujiwara-kyo, Japan’s capital from 694 until the move to Heijo-kyo in 710.

The palace occupied an area approximately one kilometre square and contained the imperial residence, ceremonial spaces, government halls and administrative offices. Its urban structure influenced the later capitals of Nara and Kyoto.

14. Daikandaiji Temple Site

Daikandaiji was a major state temple positioned southeast of Fujiwara Palace within the planned capital.

It was the largest temple in the Asuka-Fujiwara area, and a nine-storey pagoda was planned as part of the complex. Its religious tradition continued at Daian-ji after the capital moved to Nara.

15. Motoyakushiji Temple Site

Motoyakushiji was another state temple deliberately positioned within the street grid of Fujiwara-kyo.

The foundations of its main hall and eastern and western pagodas remain visible. Its twin-pagoda plan was inherited by Yakushi-ji in Nara after the capital was relocated.

16. Mounded Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito

This late-seventh-century mausoleum is the joint burial place of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito, who were closely connected with the planning and construction of Fujiwara-kyo.

The tomb is octagonal, a form associated with imperial burials of the Asuka period, and lies south of the central axis extending from Fujiwara Palace.

17. Nakaoyama Mounded Tomb

Nakaoyama is an octagonal burial mound located north of Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb.

Excavations confirmed its octagonal form and small stone chamber. Its high-status design and evidence of a single cremation burial have led to the suggestion that it may be the tomb of Emperor Monmu, although this has not been conclusively established.

18. Kitora Mounded Tomb

Kitora is a mural tomb constructed in the late seventh or early eighth century.

Its paintings include the Four Guardian Gods, zodiac figures, the sun, the moon and an astronomical chart. The chart is regarded as the oldest surviving full-scale star map of its kind in East Asia.

19. Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb

Takamatsuzuka is another mural tomb dating from the late seventh or early eighth century.

Its murals depict male and female figures, guardian deities and star constellations influenced by traditional East Asian cosmology. The group of women painted on the western wall has become a widely recognised symbol of the tomb.

Can you visit all 19 sites in one day?

The sites extend across three municipalities, and several are separated by considerable distances. Visiting every marker briefly may be possible with careful transport planning, but exploring all 19 properly in one day would be rushed.

A more practical approach is to divide the area into several groups:

• Central Asuka around Asuka Palace and Asuka-dera
• Southern Asuka around Kitora and Takamatsuzuka
• Fujiwara Palace and the temple sites in Kashihara
• Yamada-dera in Sakurai

Buses, rental bicycles and trains can be combined, but service frequency and opening conditions should be checked before travelling.

How to reach Asuka-Fujiwara

From Osaka

Kashiharajingu-mae and Asuka stations can be reached via the Kintetsu Railway network. Travellers from central Osaka will generally connect through Osaka-Abenobashi or another major Kintetsu station, depending on their route.

From Kyoto

Kintetsu services connect Kyoto Station with Kashihara and Asuka through Yamato-Saidaiji or Kashiharajingu-mae. The precise route depends on the service used.

From Nara City

Visitors travelling from the Nara Park area can use Kintetsu services from Kintetsu-Nara, usually changing at Yamato-Saidaiji before continuing south.

As timetables, admission arrangements and opening periods can change, check official railway, municipal and facility information before visiting.

Frequently asked questions

What is the official UNESCO name?

The official English name is Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. “Asuka-Fujiwara” is also widely used in tourism information and earlier nomination materials.

How many component sites are included?

There are 19 component sites: five palace or government-related sites, seven Buddhist temple sites and seven mounded tombs.

Are Ishibutai, Kitora and Takamatsuzuka included?

Yes. Ishibutai is component 10, Kitora is component 18 and Takamatsuzuka is component 19.

Is Asuka-dera Temple the same as Asuka-dera Temple Site?

The present Asuka-dera, formally known as Ango-in, stands within the archaeological area of the ancient temple. However, the World Heritage component extends beyond the present temple buildings.

Is the property located near Nara Park?

No. Although both are in Nara Prefecture, Asuka and Fujiwara lie south of Nara City. Travellers should allow additional time to reach the area by train, bus or car.

Summary

Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara is a serial World Heritage property consisting of 19 archaeological sites in Asuka Village, Kashihara City and Sakurai City.

Its palaces, government facilities, Buddhist temples and burial mounds show how Japan developed a centralised state between the late sixth and early eighth centuries through interaction with China and the Korean Peninsula.

Viewing all 19 components together on the map reveals that they form a connected historical landscape rather than a collection of unrelated tourist attractions.

Use the interactive Google My Map above to understand their locations before planning a visit.

Sources and further information

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara
• UNESCO World Heritage properties in Japan
• Asuka-Fujiwara World Heritage Council
• Official descriptions of the 19 component parts
• UNESCO nomination examination document

This article summarises information from the official sources listed above. Proposed identifications of tomb occupants are presented as theories and not as confirmed facts.