Overview
The Izuruhara Site is a multi-period archaeological site in Izuruhara-cho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. Here the traces of human life accumulated from the Jomon through the Heian period, and the site is best known for the group of reburial tombs uncovered from the early half of the middle Yayoi period. As a place where the marks of daily life piled up across vast stretches of time, it is a site no traveler tracing the ancient history of the Kanto region will want to miss.
Highlights
- ●A scholarly valuable site where an early middle Yayoi reburial tomb group was found
- ●A composite site layering eras from Jomon to Heian
- ●Excavated artifacts counted among Sano City Tangible Cultural Properties
- ●Meiji University holdings, part of them designated National Important Cultural Properties
History
This is a composite site holding traces of many eras from Jomon to Heian, but scholarly attention has focused above all on the reburial tomb group detected from the early middle Yayoi period. Among the excavated Yayoi-period artifacts, those owned by Sano City are designated a Sano City Tangible Cultural Property (archaeological materials), while some of those held by Meiji University are designated National Important Cultural Properties. The site preserves precious clues to the ancient view of life and death and the practices of burial.
Access
The site lies in Izuruhara-cho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, at roughly 36.36 degrees north and 139.54 degrees east. Access by car from central Sano or from the direction of the Sano-Fujioka Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway is convenient. As the public accessibility of the site itself and the facilities where artifacts can be viewed may change, please confirm through official sources before visiting.
Best season
For walking an open-air site, spring and autumn, when the heat and cold ease, are the most comfortable and recommended. The Izuruhara area is also known for its springs and rich nature, so you can enjoy the seasonal scenery together with a walk in the surroundings. If you are aiming to see the excavated artifacts on display, checking the opening days of the facility in advance is reassuring.
Map
36.3642, 139.5405 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Travel from central Sano toward the site area in Izuruhara-cho
- 2Take in the spread and setting of the composite site on the ground
- 3Visit a facility housing the finds to learn about Yayoi artifacts and reburial tombs
- 4Stroll the nature around Izuruhara, known for its springs, as well
Did you know?
💡 A reburial tomb is a distinctive Yayoi-period burial custom in which bones, once interred, were later gathered again into a jar or similar vessel and buried anew. The Izuruhara Site is significant as an example where such a tomb group was found together, hinting at the careful mourning of ancient people.
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