Ishibutai is the skeleton of a tomb. The massive granite blocks of its burial chamber, now exposed to the open sky, form one of the most astonishing sights in Asuka, a giant stone room that was once buried under an earth mound, and it is generally thought to be the tomb of Soga no Umako, the minister who built Asuka-dera and dominated the court until his death in 626. The mound has long since been stripped away, probably by looters and by the passage of centuries, leaving the stones standing in a grassy square like the bones of some enormous animal.
The scale is what grabs you. Around thirty stones make up the chamber and its passage, and the largest of them weigh in the region of seventy tonnes each, hauled in without wheels or modern machinery from quarries some distance away. You can walk into the chamber through the passage and stand beneath the huge roof stones, which is a strange, slightly claustrophobic experience, and be amazed at how precisely the surfaces were cut and fitted. A modest admission fee is charged and there is a small stall selling tickets and souvenirs.
Around the tomb lies a landscape of persimmon orchards, small paddies, farmhouses with black-tiled roofs and a patchwork of narrow lanes. It is a lovely area to ride gently, with little traffic and sudden glimpses of the hills. Take care on corners where fields come close to the road and farm machinery may be parked, and keep an eye out for cyclists. The town of Sakurai, four kilometres off, has fuel, shops and cafés, and Kashihara is not much farther.
In spring the setting is lush with blossom, in summer it is humid and green, and in autumn the whole district turns gold, with the red spider lilies in September adding spots of crimson along the paddies. Winter is quiet.
Nearby, you can find the tombs of Takamatsuzuka, famed for the brightly painted murals of women in colourful robes found inside, and a museum that explains the finds. Allow time to wander slowly, since the real pleasure of Asuka is in noticing how many layers of history can sit within a short ride.