A journey to meet Empress Saimei

Japan HeritageSaru-ishi (Monkey Stone) of Takatori Castle

This stone is similar to those in Kibihime’s tomb, so it is believed to have been brought from there to use on the stone walls of Takatori Castle. It’s situated at the fork of a road—one way leads down to the castle town and the other goes in the direction of Asuka. Empress Saimei ordered the construction of numerous stone works in Asuka. The purpose of many of them remains unclear, but it’s fun to speculate about what the ancient people of Asuka were up to.

Information

Address
Takatori, Takatori-cho
Access
50 min. walk from Tsubosakadera-mae stop on Nara Kotsu bus

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