Sugawara Haniwa Kiln Park: Where Tomb Figures Were Fired
See an excavated kiln and ash deposit where haniwa were fired around 1,500 years ago, in the district associated with the Haji potters.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Sugawara Haniwa Kiln Park: Where Tomb Figures Were Fired
Sugawara Haniwa Kiln Park preserves evidence of the craft behind the figures placed on ancient tombs. Nara City says six tunnel-like climbing kilns were found at the Sugawara East site, where haniwa were fired around 1,500 years ago. One excavated kiln and part of its ash deposit are displayed outdoors; other remains are marked at ground level. The city connects the area with the Haji group, people associated with tomb construction and pottery, whose name was later changed to Sugawara after the place. It is a compact, open-air visit that complements a larger kofun or temple route by showing how burial objects were made.
See one kiln, then imagine the wider workshop
The park displays one excavated haniwa kiln and a section of the ash deposit that accumulated during firing. Nara City's archaeological account says six kilns were found across the site. The displayed structure is therefore one surviving window into a larger production area, not the complete workshop preserved intact.
Understand the climbing kiln
The kilns were tunnel-shaped structures cut diagonally into a slope, a form called a climbing kiln. Soil layers showed that the kilns sometimes collapsed during operation. That evidence turns a small visible structure into a story about firing technology, repeated work and the practical challenges of producing ceramic objects for tombs.
Connect haniwa production with the Haji group
Nara City notes that people called Haji lived in this area and were thought to have worked in tomb construction. The discovery of kilns for tomb figures supports that regional association. The city's wording presents this as an archaeological interpretation, not proof that every kiln operator belonged to a named individual or that the later Sugawara clan directly ran this site.
Add a short stop between stations
Nara City's cultural-property page gives the address as 3-9 Kunimicho and lists about 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji, 12 minutes from Amagatsuji, or nine minutes from the Hankyu Sugawara bus stop. The city's English tourism listing instead labels the same park 403-2 Yakuryocho and gives a 15-minute walk from Saidaiji. Because the municipal address labels conflict, search the Japanese park name and follow the city map rather than navigating by street number alone. This is a small outdoor site, not a staffed museum.
Respect the preserved remains
Nara City's current English tourism listing says there is no parking; the older cultural-property page does not publish admission, fixed daily hours, toilets or staff services. Treat the site as a quiet outdoor heritage park: remain on paths, do not touch the kiln fabric or marked remains, and carry out rubbish. Contact Nara City's Cultural Properties Division before commercial filming or using municipal imagery; no MyNara reuse rights have been confirmed.
What to look for
One excavated kiln and part of its ash deposit are displayed outdoors
The wider site contained six climbing kilns used for haniwa production
Walkable from Yamato-Saidaiji and Amagatsuji stations
Photo notes
Stay on paths and do not touch the kiln or marked archaeological remains. Ask Nara City's Cultural Properties Division before commercial photography. Municipal images and maps are not cleared for reuse in MyNara.
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 — park location, displayed kiln and official access routes
- Nara City — excavation context, six kilns, Haji association and archaeological interpretation
- Nara City — parks directory and latest municipal listing
- Nara Prefecture — local history of Sugawara East Haniwa Kilns and archaeological findings
- Nara City official tourism — English visitor description, alternate address, no parking and station access