Mandarado Yagura Tombs Group: Autumn Special Public Opening

About this event

Located in the Nagoe Pass (Nagoe Kiridoshi) spanning Kamakura City and Zushi City, the "Mandarado Yagura Tombs Group" is a large-scale cluster of medieval cave tombs or memorial sites arranged in 2 to 4 tiers like apartment complexes, with more than 150 caves identified. Due to preservation and management requirements, it is not open to the public on a regular basis, but in autumn it is opened for a limited time from Saturday, October 24 to Monday, December 14, exclusively on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays. During this season, visitors can also enjoy the yellow and red autumn foliage, further enhancing the mystical atmosphere. The gorinto (five-tiered stupas) lined up inside the yagura caves are believed to have been erected mainly to honor the deceased by housing cremated bones, and it is presumed that samurai, Buddhist monks, and wealthy merchants and artisans were buried here. Sites where a well-preserved, substantial number of yagura tombs remain are extremely rare, making this a precious archaeological monument even within Kamakura City. During the public opening period, visits are allowed from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with admission accepted until 5 minutes before closing. Access is available via public transportation: take a bus from JR Zushi Station or Keikyu Zushi-Hayama Station, get off at "Midorigaoka Iriguchi" or "Kamegaoka Danchi Kita", and walk. Access by bus from JR Kamakura Station is also possible. Admission is free, but voluntary donations are requested to cover the maintenance and management expenses of the historic site. As the site may be closed during severe weather, checking in advance is recommended.

Venue

Nagoe Kiridoshi (First Pass)

7-chome Kotsubo, Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0008