Sanryobo Kofun Historic Park: Three Tombs on the Yamato Plateau
A quiet municipal historic park preserves three very different burial mounds, including a large keyhole-shaped tomb and two round mounds.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Sanryobo Kofun Historic Park: Three Tombs on the Yamato Plateau
Sanryobo is a group of three tombs rather than a single monument: the East Tomb is keyhole-shaped, while the West and South Tombs are round. Nara City identifies the East and West Tombs as among the largest examples of their period on the Yamato Plateau and says the site was designated a prefectural historic site and developed as a historic park. It offers a grounded way to see how burial forms and communities extended beyond the Nara Basin's best-known royal tombs. The park is in Tsuge, a rural part of eastern Nara; plan it as a deliberate stop, not an easy walk from central Nara.
Read the three mounds as a group
The East Tomb is a keyhole-shaped tumulus, with a rectangular front and rounded rear. The West and South Tombs are round mounds. Their grouping gives the place its name and invites comparison between forms; the three should not be collapsed into one tomb or assigned named occupants without evidence. The city calls the East and West examples among the largest of their era on the Yamato Plateau.
Look for the East and West Tombs first
The city publishes images and a site map for the park. Use that map to orient yourself between the East and West Tombs and the smaller South Tomb. The attraction is the surviving landscape and the scale of the mounds, not an indoor exhibition or a reconstructed burial chamber. The public material does not describe an interior open to visitors, so treat the tombs as exterior archaeological features.
Understand the setting on the plateau
Tsuge lies in Nara City's eastern uplands, away from the famous clusters around Asuka and the central basin. The site's importance is partly this regional perspective: the city places the East and West Tombs among the Yamato Plateau's largest examples of their period. The municipal page does not name the buried individuals, so the guide avoids speculation about identity.
Make the rural journey part of the plan
The listed address is 1581 Tsuge Minaminosho-cho, Nara. Nara City gives the nearest practical public-transit approach as a bus from Kintetsu Haibara Station or the Nara Kotsu bus stop at Hari Interchange, followed by alighting at Minaminosho Higashiguchi and walking about four minutes; the prefectural tourism guide gives about three minutes. By car, the city places the park about 2.5 km from Hari Interchange on the Meihan National Expressway. The tourism guide lists free parking for 400 cars; confirm spaces and access before travel. Check the current timetable and return service before leaving; the municipal page does not list a staffed visitor centre, fee schedule or fixed daily opening hours.
Visit as a protected archaeological site
The city notes that the park toilet is closed from mid-December to late March to prevent water pipes freezing. No general admission price or daily hours are published on the current city page. Stay on visitor paths, do not climb barriers or remove soil and stones, and check municipal notices for temporary maintenance. Obtain permission before commercial filming or other business use; ordinary visitor access does not grant image-reuse rights.
What to look for
Three distinct mounds: one keyhole-shaped tomb and two round tombs
A rare chance to explore a major tomb group in Nara's eastern uplands
City map and route guidance; toilets close seasonally in winter
Photo notes
Use public paths and do not climb or touch protected mound surfaces. Ask Nara City before commercial filming or staged photography. Images on city pages remain the rights holders' property; no reuse permission for MyNara has been confirmed.
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 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nara City — Sanryobo Kofun Group designation, tomb forms, park map, seasonal toilet closure and transport
- Nara City — archaeological context for Sanryobo and other local tombs
- Nara City — current public parks directory
- Nara Prefecture official tourism guide — three tombs, bus access and free parking
- Nara City municipal heritage document — Sanryobo site context and regional preservation