Mandarado Yagura Tombs (まんだら堂やぐら群)

Discover Mandarado Yagura Tombs

Mandarado Yagura Tombs (まんだら堂やぐら群) is a medieval burial and memorial site hidden in the hills of Kotsubo, Zushi City (逗子市), inside the Nagoe Kiridoshi Pass (名越切通), a nationally designated historic site on the old road linking Kamakura (鎌倉) and Zushi. Yagura are tombs carved into the bedrock, a form of burial found around Kamakura, and more than 150 of them have been confirmed here. Each is a small chamber about two meters square, and they line the cliffs around a flat terrace, tier upon tier.

The terrace is thought to have been leveled and the first yagura carved around the end of the 13th century, in the late Kamakura period, and memorial rites continued through roughly the whole 15th century, into the middle of the Muromachi period. The oldest record bearing the name “Mandarado” is a land survey register from the late 16th century, but there it is only the name of a field, and the hall itself is believed to have already vanished by then. What kind of hall once stood here, and until when, is not known. The site is managed by Zushi City, and the entrance fence stays closed except on public opening days.

Highlights: Tiers of Yagura and the Viewing Terrace

The main sight is the cliff face lined with small yagura in stepped rows, which has led some visitors to call it an “apartment block of graves.” Many chambers still hold gorinto (五輪塔), memorial towers built from five stacked stones, and more chambers continue behind the main cliff as well.

Stairs behind the reception desk at the entrance lead up to a viewing terrace, where you can look down over the whole group of yagura and catch a faint glimpse of the sea beyond the trees. Visitors are kept back from the yagura, so you cannot enter or touch them. Excavations uncovered paved cut-stone remains, a rectangular cremation pit dug into the bedrock, and a pit holding the skull of a person believed to have been beheaded. The paving and the cremation pit have since been reburied and can no longer be seen.

Seasonal Scenery

During the early-summer opening the yagura are wrapped in fresh green, and during the autumn opening the large ginkgo tree on the terrace and the maples change color. The ginkgo often turns yellow only in December, and in some years its leaves fall before coloring because of salt-laden winds or typhoons. On non-opening days you can see part of the site through the entrance fence, but in summer, when the grass grows tall, it is hidden from view.

Access and Opening Hours

• Take a bus from Zushi Station or Kamakura Station and walk uphill from the bus stop. Every route ends with steep stairs or a mountain path, and the route from the Midorigaoka-iriguchi (緑ヶ丘入口) stop has long flights of stairs
• Because of the stairs and mountain paths, the site is not practical to visit with a stroller or wheelchair
• After rain the paths are muddy in places and slippery with fallen leaves, so wear sturdy walking shoes
• No car or bicycle parking, and no coin parking nearby; come by public transport and on foot
• There are no restrooms on site, so use one at the station or elsewhere before you set out
• Open: Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and national holidays during limited periods in early summer (April–May) and autumn (October–December); 10:00–16:00 in early summer and 10:00–15:00 in autumn, last entry 5 minutes before closing
• Admission: free (voluntary donations accepted for upkeep of the site)
• Open in light rain, but may close without notice in stormy weather, such as when heavy rain is forecast
• No eating on site (drinks are fine): kites have snatched food from behind and injured visitors

For opening dates, what to expect at the reception and viewing terrace, and bus directions, see Mandarado Yagura Tombs Limited Opening.

Best Time to Visit

Come during the early-summer opening to see the yagura amid fresh greenery, or during the autumn opening to see them with ginkgo and maple colors. In autumn the site closes at 15:00, so set out early to allow time for the walk up the mountain path. Because opening days are limited to Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and holidays, a stay of a few days in Kamakura makes it much easier to fit a visit in.

Exploring Nearby: Nagoe Kiridoshi Pass and Nichiren Temples

Mandarado Yagura Tombs lies inside Nagoe Kiridoshi Pass, the old road between Kamakura and Zushi, so it pairs naturally with a walk along the pass. Heading down the pass toward Kamakura, you reach three temples linked to the monk Nichiren (日蓮) within a 10 to 15 minute walk. Choshoji Temple (長勝寺) is about 11 minutes (750 m) away, Ankokuronji Temple (安国論寺) about 12 minutes (900 m), and Myohoji Temple (妙法寺), known for its moss-covered stone steps, about 14 minutes (1 km). All three belong to the Nichiren school of Buddhism and are said to date back to the mid-13th century, so you can stop by on your way back toward Kamakura Station. The area around the pass also has Osarubatake no Okirigishi (お猿畠の大切岸), a long rock cliff, and Hoshoji Temple (法性寺). Walking times are estimates based on map routes; the mountain path may take a little longer.

Who Should Visit?

• Travelers interested in the medieval history of Kamakura and Zushi, or in yagura
• Those who want to see, on a large scale, where the people of medieval Kamakura mourned their dead
• Visitors comfortable with mountain paths and long stairs

Wrap-Up: A Medieval Memorial Site on the Nagoe Kiridoshi Pass

Mandarado Yagura Tombs is a medieval memorial site where more than 150 yagura are stacked on the cliffs of the Nagoe Kiridoshi Pass. It opens only on limited days in early summer and autumn, but the panorama from the viewing terrace and the trees that change with the seasons bring you close to the prayers of the people of medieval Kamakura. Staying at Toshi’s Place (トシズプレイス), fully unmanned smart hotels with kitchens for self-catering stays, lets you start up the mountain path with time to spare on the morning of an opening day.

Basic Information

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