History

The precise path and length of the original Yamanobe no Michi remain uncertain, but it is thought to have spanned between present-day Sakurai City and Nara City. Tenri in the north and Sakurai in the south. This route likely evolved from a natural north-south trail along the mountain range at the eastern edge of the fertile Nara Basin. Archaeological findings confirm that this area was inhabited as far back as prehistoric times and has been continuously occupied since. Consequently, the region is rich in historical sites.

One significant landmark along the route is Mt. Miwa, a triangular mountain at Yamanobe Road’s southern end. Archaeological and mythological evidence suggests that Mt. Miwa served as a ritual center as early as the late 3rd century. The mountain itself was—and continues to be—revered as a sacred object of worship, embodying a deity (kami). At the northern end lies another important ritual site, Isonokami Jingū, where a 4th-century, Korean-made, seven-branched sword is enshrined. These sites were central to the emerging political lineages of the Nara Basin, which would eventually culminate in the ancient Japanese state.

Starting in the mid-3rd century, regional elites began constructing large burial mounds known as kofun. These standardized mounds, accompanied by specific grave goods, rapidly spread across Japan’s main islands. Unsurprisingly, numerous kofun are found along Yamanobe Road, including the Hashihaka burial mound, which some scholars speculate may be the tomb of Queen Himiko—a 3rd-century ruler mentioned in Chinese chronicles, though the location of her kingdom, Yamatai, remains uncertain.

In subsequent centuries, an alliance of powerful local families known as the Yamato polity rose to prominence, expanding their influence throughout Japan. During this period, contact with China and the Korean Peninsula introduced significant cultural, religious, and political changes to the region. The official introduction of Buddhism in the mid-6th century brought new religious practices, including the construction of Buddhist temples alongside traditional worship sites like Mt. Miwa. Burial customs also began to shift, with some elites opting for cremation in the Buddhist tradition and adopting continental-inspired decorations in burial chambers.

By the late 6th century, Empress Suiko established her palace in the Asuka Valley, south of Yamanobe Road. Half a century later, Chinese principles of government and urban planning were introduced via Korean intermediaries. These innovations accelerated the state formation process, leading to the establishment of Japan’s first capital cities and a centralized bureaucracy.