Mixed Reality for Cultural Heritage: Digitizing Takamatsuzuka Kofun and Exploring Its Murals

This paper presents a mixed reality (MR) system developed to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the Takamatsuzuka Kofun, a historically significant tomb in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its once-vibrant murals—depicting human figures, celestial diagrams, and mythical creatures—have deteriorated over time due to grave robbing, microbial activity, and environmental factors. Our system addresses these challenges by enabling users to explore a low-cost 3D model of the tomb’s interior, overlaid with high-resolution textures of both the damaged murals and their hypothesized restored versions. A key feature, “Time Light,” allows users to intuitively compare mural states by “shining” a virtual flashlight on specific sections. Additionally, an interactive control panel lets users adjust the model’s height and rotation, while audio commentary can be triggered by tapping on the walls. A user study conducted over three exhibition days at Kansai University, involving 123 participants, revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback on ease of use, clarity of interaction, and user engagement. Although most participants reported no discomfort, a few suggested further improvements for audio clarity and text legibility. Overall, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of MR in bridging historical knowledge and public engagement, offering a portable and intuitive alternative to large-scale physical replicas.