Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
10 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
14 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
21 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
21 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Osaka Tomb of the Nue
AO Edited

Tomb of the Nue

The tomb of an infamous chimeric monster whose corpse once washed ashore in Osaka.

Osaka, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Tomb of the Nue at night.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Tomb of the Nue at night.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Nuezuka (Tomb of the Nue), Miyakojima.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The coat of arms of the City of Osaka Port Authority.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

According to Japanese mythology, the Nue is a chimeric yōkai monster with the head of a macaque, the body of a raccoon dog, the limbs of a tiger, and the tail of a snake. The creature is known for its creepy, thrush-like cry of hyo-hyo. The medieval epic The Tale of the Heike claims that, in 1153, the Nue appeared in the Imperial Palace of Kyoto every night to frighten the Emperor, until it was slain by Lord Minamoto no Yorimasa, a master archer.

There are three different alleged tombs for the monster, all named Nuezuka (Nue mound). In Kyoto, it is an ancient tumulus associated with the Nue for unclear reasons. The ones in Ashiya, Hyogo, and Miyakojima Ward, Osaka, are both said to be the burial site of the creature's corpse that was washed away down a river.

The original "tomb" in Osaka was replaced by a new one in 1870, and restored again by locals in 1957. The site is considered a sort of shrine dedicated to the chimera. It has been well-kept over the years, so as not to incite the wrath of its ghost.

In 1980, the Port of Osaka adopted a unique coat of arms featuring the Nue as if it was a traditional European heraldic animal. A sample of the design can be found on an information plaque beside the burial monument today.

Related Tags

Tombs Monsters Folklore Mythology
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

February 27, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Tomb of the Nue
Osaka, 534-0021
Japan
34.707468, 135.526955

Nearby Places

Izakaya Toyo

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Sakura no Tōrinuke

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Tavern Pachimon Wars

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Osaka

Osaka

Japan

Places 17
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Izakaya Toyo

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Sakura no Tōrinuke

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Tavern Pachimon Wars

Osaka, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Osaka

Osaka

Japan

Places 17
Stories 2

Related Places

  • The site of the mythological Sanada no Osada.

    Kirishima, Japan

    Sanada no Osada

    According to Japanese mythology, the first rice paddy in history was created here many aeons ago.

  • The grave of the cannibal hag.

    Nihommatsu, Japan

    Kurozuka (Black Tomb)

    Local legend claims that this is the final resting place of an infamous cannibal hag.

  • The best-preserved Tengu stele in Naruse, Machida.

    Machida, Japan

    Tengu Stelae of Naruse

    Three rare “road guardian” stelae with reliefs of the Tengu can be found in the town of Naruse.

  • more yokai sculptures

    Miyoshi, Japan

    Miyoshi Mononoke Museum

    A collection of nearly 5,000 yokai-themed toys, sculptures, and more, dating from the 1700s to the present day.

  • The tombstone on the wall

    Panaji, India

    Dona Paula's Tombstone

    Legends of adultery, love affairs, and charity swirl around this mysterious 17th-century Portuguese woman.

  • The Angel of Shavano

    Maysville, Colorado

    Angel of Shavano

    This distinctive snowfield on the slopes of a Colorado fourteener has several legendary origin stories.

  • View of the pond and the volcano

    San Rafael, Mexico

    Nahualac Pond

    A shrine in the middle of this pond represents a Mesoamerican creation myth.

  • Singapore

    Kubur Kassim Cemetery

    Old Muslim cemetery and resting place of folkloric creatures

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.