Also known as: Yamashinanomisasagi (Mausoleum of Emperor Tenji)
Location
Kyoto Pref.
Shape
Octagonal mound
Mound length
71 m
Period
Late 7th c.
IHA designation
IHA-managed (no public entry)
Overview
The IHA mausoleum of Emperor Tenji (Yamashinanomisasagi) in Yamashina-ku, Kyoto. Surrounded by tall cedars, the precinct features a quiet, forested approach path. About 10 min walk from Kintetsu/Subway Yamashina Station or Subway Tozai Line "Misasagi" Station — the station name itself derives from this imperial tomb. Emperor Tenji, as Prince Naka no Ōe, led the Isshi Incident (645) that destroyed the Soga clan and launched the Taika Reforms. He is also celebrated as the attributed author of the first poem in the Hyakunin Isshu anthology ("In the paddy fields in autumn…"). The surrounding Yamashina district connects to the Jinshin War (672) and the imperial lineage of Emperors Tenmu and Jitō.
Finds & research
No excavation permitted under IHA mausoleum regulations. Internal structure and grave goods remain unknown. Exterior viewable from surrounding roads.
Two views on the occupant
Archaeological view
The attribution to Emperor Tenji (r. 668–671) is broadly supported by contemporary sources (Nihon Shoki) and is among the more historically credible IHA attributions compared with many earlier imperial mausolea. Mound form is reported as front-back-square (zenpokohofun) but details are unavailable under IHA jurisdiction. The full precinct is estimated at 180–190m across based on boundary markers. Emperor Tenji was the driving force behind the Taika Reforms (645) and promulgated the Omi Code (671), foundational to Japan's ritsuryō state.
Imperial Household Agency view
Officially designated "Yamashinanomisasagi" and managed by the IHA as the mausoleum of Emperor Tenji (38th Emperor, r. 668–671). The managed precinct extends approximately 600m square. Public access restricted. [Shape controversy] The IHA officially classifies the mound form as "jōen kahō" (upper-circular lower-square), but archaeological scholarship strongly favors an octagonal mound (八角墳), consistent with the contemporary Noguchi-no-o-no-haka (id:269) and Kengyushizuka (id:266). This map uses the archaeological classification. A torii gate and approach path allow exterior viewing.[IHA Visiting Info] Address: 京都府京都市山科区御陵上御廟野町 / Access: 京都市営地下鉄・京阪 御陵駅から徒歩約12分 / Hours: 原則、8時30分～17時 (open year-round in principle). Stamp storage: 月輪陵墓監区事務所.
Field notes
The nearest station, Subway Tozai Line "Misasagi," takes its name directly from this mausoleum — one of the few subway stations in Japan named after an imperial tomb. The cedar-lined approach is beautiful, especially in early morning. The IHA's annual Yamashinanomisasagi Worship Ceremony is held each November. A key point on a "Taika Reform sites" tour connecting this mausoleum, the site of Ōtsu Palace (Ōtsu City, Shiga), and Fujiwara Kamatari's tomb (Abuyama Kofun, id:62, Takatsuki City).