Both tombs stem from a concept of creating space to comfort the soul.

At Kitora Tumulus, along with Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, murals were drawn inside the stone chamber to comfort the soul of the interred. Both tombs had the four directional deities depicted on the walls, and a celestial map or star chart on the ceiling.

Kitora Tumulus and Takamatsuzuka Tumulus differ in the following ways.

While Kitora and Takamatsuzuka are extremely similar as tombs with murals, there are also many points of difference in their age of construction and how they were influenced by continental Asian culture.

Kitora Tumulus

■ Four directional deities (Blue Dragon, Red Phoenix, White Tiger, Black Snake-Tortoise)
・ White Tiger faces north (unusual)
■ Drawing on the ceiling
・ A celestial map accurately depicting the appearance of a starry sky
■ Drawings on the north, south, east, and west walls other than the four directional deities and images of the sun and moon
・ Chinese zodiac figures with animal heads on human bodies
■ Shape of the interior’s ceiling
・ Roof shape
■ Material for the stone chamber
・ Volcanic tuff (from Mount Nijosan)
■ Number of stones
・ 18

Takamatsuzuka Tumulus

■ Four directional deities (Blue Dragon, Red Phoenix, White Tiger, Black Snake-Tortoise)
・ The White Tiger faces south (typical)
■ Drawing on the ceiling
・ A constellation chart as a simplified design of a starry sky
■ Drawings on the north, south, east, and west walls other than the four directional deities and images of the sun and moon
・ Male and female attendants
■ Shape of the interior’s ceiling
・ Flat
■ Material for the stone chamber
・ Volcanic tuff (from Mount Nijosan)
■ Number of stones
・ 16

• BACK
• NEXT