Itabuki Palace, Imperial palace ruins in Asuka, Japan

Itabuki Palace is the site in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, of the imperial residence built for Empress Kogyoku by order of Soga no Emishi and completed in 642. Today it is a flat grassy plot crossed by faint parallel bands of dark stone marking the building's lines, with a border of rough grey stones along the near edge and a low pale fence, village houses and wooded hills behind.

The palace was founded in 643 and served as the residence of Empress Kogyoku during a turbulent period of political change. It held strategic importance in early imperial Japanese history.

The name Itabuki no miya comes from the thick wooden planks (ita) that covered its roof, a rare choice when most roofs were thatched with bark, grass or straw. The palace was the stage of the Isshi Incident in 645, when Soga no Iruka was assassinated at court, leading Empress Kogyoku to abdicate.

The site lies in the Oka district of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, within the Asuka Historical National Government Park. It is a flat, open lawn crossed by low bands of dark stone marking the palace layout, with a low pale fence and village houses behind. The Soga no Iruka head mound stands nearby. Ground can be soft after rain, so wear sturdy shoes.

The name Itabuki no miya comes from its roof, covered with thick wooden planks rather than the bark, thatch or straw usual in 7th-century Japan; plank roofing was rare and few such buildings survive. The site is in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, and near it stands a mound called the kubizuka, said to hold the head of Soga no Iruka.