Otomeyama Kofun: A Giant Shell-Shaped Tomb You View from the Park
Understand one of Japan's largest scallop-fronted tombs from public park routes; direct access to the mound is difficult, so plan to view it from outside.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Otomeyama Kofun: A Giant Shell-Shaped Tomb You View from the Park
Otomeyama is a 130-metre scallop-shaped keyhole tomb that straddles Kawai and Koryo. Its rear mound is large, while the front projection is unusually short and low, creating the shell-like profile behind its archaeological classification. The prefecture records finds including house-, jar- and umbrella-shaped haniwa, clay objects, pottery and a projecting platform interpreted as a ritual space. The buried person is unknown; a relationship to the 葛城氏 is only a theory. Unlike Nagareyama, this mound is not a climbable reconstruction: the official Nara City tourism listing cautions that access is difficult. Treat Otomeyama as a protected landscape to understand from permitted park paths, not as a promise of a close-up mound walk.
Look for the shell-shaped outline
At 130 m long, Otomeyama is one of Japan's largest scallop-shaped tombs. Its rear mound is 103 m across and 14.7 m high, while the front portion is only 30 m long and 3.5 m high. The asymmetry is the key feature: the front is exceptionally short and low compared with the rear. Its location on the boundary between Kawai and Koryo also shows how the ancient landscape crosses modern town lines.
Read the finds as evidence of ceremony
Excavations around the mound base recovered cylindrical haniwa and figurative examples shaped like houses, jars and lids. A projection on the southwest of the rear mound held house-shaped and oval-section haniwa. The prefecture interprets this built-out platform as a ritual place. The burial installation itself is not known; older reports of cinnabar and clay lumps have led researchers to consider a clay-coffin chamber, but that remains an interpretation rather than a fully documented visitor-visible structure.
Separate a story from a historical identification
The prefecture's resource record says the buried person is unknown and mentions a possible 葛城氏 connection as a theory. It also preserves a local legend that a woman from the Hatao side was killed during a Sengoku-period conflict and gave the hill its name. That story explains a place-name tradition, not the identity of the ancient person buried in the tomb. Keeping the two timelines separate makes the visit more accurate.
View from public park paths
Otomeyama lies near the north side of Umami Hillside Park's central area, within a very large park. The official Nara City tourism listing warns that direct access is difficult, and the prefectural source says the mound is now tree-covered. Nara Prefecture's older Cultural Properties Walking Map 8 describes a park entrance near the mound and a path around its wooded perimeter, but the same sheet includes an expired 2010 construction-closure notice; treat it as historical route context, not a current access guarantee. Use the current park leaflet and on-site signs, and do not cross barriers, enter the mound or follow informal tracks. The park is reached by bus from Kintetsu Gojōdo Station, or via the northern greenway from Ikebe Station and a longer internal walk.
Visit as a protected site
The park is free and normally open throughout the week; temporary weather or maintenance closures may occur. No separate ticket, dedicated facility or direct mound opening is listed. The prefecture requires advance permission for commercial photography and event activity in the park. Do not touch the mound, collect objects or use archival and agency photographs without permission.
What to look for
130 m scallop-shaped keyhole tomb with an exceptionally short, low front
Excavated haniwa and a projecting feature interpreted as a ritual space
A protected view from public park paths; direct mound access is difficult
Photo notes
Do not cross barriers, enter wooded mound areas or photograph through private property. Ask the prefectural park office before commercial filming or staged shoots. The Nara Prefecture and archaeological institute images carry their own rights and are not cleared for MyNara use.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 24 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nara Prefecture — designation, dimensions, excavated objects, platform and burial uncertainty
- Nara Prefecture — location in central park, access caution and archaeological overview
- Nara City official tourism — access is difficult and visitor access requires care
- Nara Prefecture official tourism guide — park areas and public approach
- Nara Prefecture — current Umami Hillside Park leaflet and map (orientation only; not an Otomeyama access permit)
- Nara Prefecture — Cultural Properties Walking Map 8 (legacy perimeter-route description; contains an expired 2010 closure notice and does not verify present conditions)
- Nara Prefecture — current park access, admission, closures, parking, rules and accessibility
- Nara Prefecture — seasonal parking-gate times, capacity and permitted-use rules