In the gentle hills of Asuka, south of Nara, the first capitals of Japan rose and fell in the sixth and seventh centuries, and the land is still dotted with the tombs of the powerful. Kengoshizuka is one of them, a mound on a low ridge that excavations revealed to be octagonal in shape, a form used for imperial tombs in that period. Inside were found twin burial chambers cut from stone, and many scholars believe it to be the tomb of Empress Saimei, who reigned twice in the seventh century, with her daughter buried beside her. Restoration work in recent years has given the mound back its original shape, faced with stones, so it is far more legible than many overgrown kofun.
Asuka feels like a living museum. Rice paddies, persimmon orchards and wooded hills surround mysterious stone monuments: Ishibutai, a huge tomb whose earth mound has eroded away, leaving massive stones exposed, the strange carved Sakafuneishi, and the painted tombs of Takamatsuzuka and Kitora, decorated with images of the constellations and guardian animals. Much of the area is protected, and building is restricted, which keeps the landscape remarkably quiet.
The best way to explore Asuka is slowly. Many visitors rent bicycles, and lanes between the sites are narrow, so a motorbike needs to move gently and give way to cyclists. Kashihara, the city next door, has Kashihara Jingū, a large Shinto shrine dedicated to the legendary first emperor, Jimmu, set in a wide forest.
Riding further south takes you into the Yoshino mountains, famous for their cherry blossoms in spring, and onwards into the Kii peninsula with long, winding mountain roads through cedar forests and deep valleys. These roads are well surfaced but narrow and often damp, with tight bends and tunnels. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, while the summer rainy season and typhoons can bring heavy rain and landslides.
Kashihara, about five kilometres away, is a city of over a hundred thousand people, with fuel, shops and restaurants. Asuka itself has small cafés and restaurants, some serving dishes made with ancient rice or local vegetables. A bowl of noodles or a set lunch, followed by a slow look at the tomb in the afternoon light, is a fine way to spend a few hours.