Archaeological Sites in Japan

8 curated sites · 500 AD – 1601 AD

Fortress/citadel in Japan (3)

Kagoshima Castle Ruins

Edo-period flatland castle built in 1601 by Shimazu Iehisa, 18th head of the Shimazu clan and first lord of the Satsuma Domain. Uniquely lacked a main keep, reflecting the Satsuma…

Fortress/citadel · 1500+ AD

Naegi Castle Ruins

Naegi Castle was built in 1532 by Toyama Naokado atop Mount Takamori (432m) in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, overlooking the Kiso River and the Nakasendo highway. Known as "Red…

Fortress/citadel · 1500+ AD

Osaka Castle

One of Japan's most famous castles, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi beginning in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple. The five-story main keep, adorned with gold…

Fortress/citadel · 1500+ AD

Megalithic stones in Japan (1)

Kameishi

Kameishi (Tortoise Stone) is a massive granite megalith in Asuka village, Nara Prefecture, carved into the shape of a turtle. The stone currently faces south, but legend holds it…

Megalithic stones · 500 - 1000 AD

Megalithic structures in Japan (1)

Ishi no Hōden Megalith

A 500-ton megalith carved from rhyolite welded tuff, measuring 6.4m wide, 5.7m high, and 7.2m deep, situated within the grounds of Ōshiko Jinja shrine in Takasago, Hyōgo…

Megalithic structures · 500 - 1000 AD

Monument in Japan (1)

Sakafune-ishi Ruins

The Sakafune-ishi Archaeological Site in Asuka village, Nara Prefecture, features a giant granite slab measuring 5.5 metres long, 2.3 metres wide, and 1 metre thick, with circular…

Monument · 500 - 1000 AD

Temple complex in Japan (1)

Oushiko Shrine

Oushiko Shrine is a Shinto shrine located on the slopes of Hōden Mountain in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The shrine enshrines a massive stone structure known as the…

Temple complex · 500 - 1000 AD

Underwater structures in Japan (1)

Yonaguni Monument

The Yonaguni Monument is a submerged rock formation off Yonaguni Island, Japan, discovered by diver Kihachiro Aratake in 1986. The rectangular structure measures over 50 metres…

Underwater structures

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