Enjoy Beautiful Satoyama Scenery and Culture! 9 Popular Tourist Spots in Miyama Town

If you’re visiting Miyama Town, autumn is especially recommended, when the whole town is colored in vivid seasonal hues.
As autumn deepens, Japanese maples and maples turn red, yellow, and orange, wrapping the area in nostalgic satoyama scenery.
The best time to see them is usually from mid-November to late November, and the contrast of traditional thatched roofs and autumn leaves creates a scene unique to Miyama that attracts many visitors.
Winter is also recommended, when you can see rows of snow-covered thatched roofs.
Miyama Town has a beauty that is unique to winter and makes you feel as if you’ve arrived in a hidden retreat.

The table below summarizes how to get to Miyama Town starting from JR Kyoto Station.
The basic route is to first head to the nearest station, JR Hiyoshi Station, and then take a city bus from there.
Both trains and buses run infrequently, so if you miss one, you may have to wait over an hour for the next departure, so be careful.
For that reason, it’s best to check the timetable in advance and plan both your outbound and return schedule.

Miyama Town in Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, is known for its many rare thatched-roof houses still standing today.
Among them, the Kita settlement, where 39 thatched-roof houses remain, offers a nostalgic view of old Japan colored by the beauty of the four seasons, and it has also been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.
Today, the entire village is a popular tourist destination known as Miyama Kayabuki no Sato.
Visitors can experience Japanese culture from the past to the present through its shrine and temple, a folk museum that introduces the life of farm households 200 years ago using everyday tools and farming implements, and an art museum on the second floor of an indigo-dye workshop that displays tie-dye works collected from Japan and abroad.

This museum in Miyama Kayabuki no Sato consists of three thatched-roof buildings: a main house, a barn, and a storehouse.
When it first opened in 1993, a farmhouse residence from around 200 years ago was used as the museum, but the main house and barn were destroyed in a fire in 2000.
The current buildings were reconstructed and restored based on detailed records, faithfully recreating the atmosphere of the time using old materials and more.

This private museum was established in 2005 by indigo-dyeing artist Hiroyuki Shindo.
The museum is housed in a traditional thatched-roof home dating back to the Edo period (1603–1868).
From its large thatched roof topped with seven chigi (roof elements) to its overall atmosphere, the entire building has a deep sense of character.
On the first floor, visitors can observe the traditional indigo-dyeing process in the workshop, while the second floor displays a valuable indigo-dye collection that Mr. Shindo gathered over many years.
Its appeal lies in letting visitors experience diverse and rare indigo-dye cultures from around the world, including tie-dye from Indonesia and Nigeria, Edo-period workwear, and clothing of the Miao people in China.

The oldest farmhouse-style residence in Japan, located 30 minutes by car from Kayabuki no Sato.
A prayer tablet discovered during an investigation clearly identified the building as having been built in 1652, and due to its historical value, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1972.
Ishida Residence is a typical example of a Kitayama-style house, with all interior walls made of wooden boards.
Through architectural features such as adze-finished beams and pillars, sliding wooden doors, and the irori hearth in the living room, visitors can experience the lifestyle of that time.
The viewing period is limited, but admission is free and guides are available upon request, allowing visitors to learn deeply about the building’s history and cultural background.
Together with the rich natural scenery of Miyama Town, it is a precious spot where you can feel close to rural life in the Edo period.

Kyoto Tamba Kogen Quasi-National Park stretches across the central part of Kyoto Prefecture.
With vast forests, clear streams, and places such as Kayabuki no Sato, where distinctive thatched-roof houses are scattered throughout the landscape, the area strongly preserves the nostalgic scenery of rural Japan.
The first place you should visit as the park’s gateway is the Kyoto Tamba Kogen Quasi-National Park Visitor Center. In addition to providing local tourist information, it also serves as a hub for sharing satoyama and satoumi culture, where nature and culture intersect, under the concept of “Learning the origin of wood, protecting the forest.”

A nature-rich park spreading along the shore of Lake Ono Dam.
The area around Ono Dam, completed in 1961, shows different faces each season and is known as Rainbow Lake, whose beauty has earned it a place among Japan’s 100 Best Dam Lakes.
In spring, Approx. 1,000 cherry trees planted by local residents burst into bloom, and one of the park’s attractions is the chance to drive through a tunnel of cherry blossoms. It’s also a pleasant place to relax with a picnic by the lakeside while enjoying the trees in full bloom.

A tourist complex with a wide range of facilities, including lodging, camping, a restaurant, and a stone-oven pizza shop, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the culture of Miyama Town.
It has a nostalgic atmosphere that can be called the original scenery of Japan, with beautiful seasonal views spreading out right in front of you.
There are also plenty of activities where you can fully enjoy the rich natural surroundings, including playing and fishing in the clear Yura River nearby, as well as hiking and cycling.
With hot springs known for their soothing water quality and dining where you can enjoy the flavors of Miyama Town, it is also recommended as a place to stay.
Kajikaso, with its appealing quietness, is the perfect spot for anyone seeking a relaxing escape from the bustle of the city.

A beautiful waterfall that comes into view on your left as you head toward Kayabuki no Sato.
Its name comes from Rennyo Shonin, the restorer of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, who praised this place highly when he visited in 1475.
The waterfall is Approx. 68 m high, with the upper third dropping straight down and the rest flowing down a slope, a distinctive form known as a slide waterfall.
The view is especially spectacular after rain, when the falling water looks like white streaks.
The contrast with the deep greenery surrounding it also creates charming seasonal expressions throughout the year.
At the foot of the waterfall, where a hiking trail has been developed, the clear waters of the Yura River flow by, and the pale emerald-green water is beautiful and refreshing for both body and mind.

A historic shrine located on a high hill east of Kayabuki no Sato.
With a history of nearly 1,000 years, it has long been deeply revered by local people.
The shrine buildings are beautiful wooden structures, and the main hall features delicate carvings of chrysanthemums, doves, tigers, elephants, phoenixes, and carp, making it a designated cultural property of Kyoto Prefecture.
It is also designated as a Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Property Environmental Preservation District, and its quiet presence in nature offers a pleasant sense of peace.
The autumn leaves that vividly color the shrine grounds in fall are especially breathtaking.

At Miyama no Megumi Milk Studio Miyama Main Store, located inside Roadside Station Miyama Fureai Hiroba in Miyama Town, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, you can enjoy a variety of sweets made with fresh Miyama Milk available only at the directly managed shop.
This milk is known for being rich yet leaving a clean aftertaste.
The popular soft serve comes only in milk flavor, allowing you to enjoy the full rich taste of Miyama Milk as it is. More than 10 kinds of gelato are always lined up in the display case, with selections changing by season.

Cafe Miran is a small cafe located in Kayabuki no Sato, surrounded by the rich natural environment of Miyama.
The interior has a calm old-house style atmosphere, and there are terrace seats overlooking peaceful rural scenery outside the windows.
It is a relaxing space where you can slowly enjoy sweets while taking in the view of traditional thatched roofs.
Its biggest attraction is the menu made generously with fresh free-range local eggs.
Among the most popular items are the homemade pudding made with rich eggs and raw milk from the farm, and the milk gelato made with Miyama Milk, both of which are highly recommended.

Surrounded by Kyoto’s beautiful natural scenery, Oshokujidokoro Kitamura is a restaurant located right in front of Kayabuki no Sato, where the good old landscape of Japan still remains.
The restaurant’s specialty is exquisite soba made from buckwheat flour produced in Miyama, ground with a stone mill and hand-cut by skilled artisans.
Made fresh every day with care by artisans with more than 30 years of experience, the soba goes down smoothly and is known for its rich aroma and natural sweetness.

Located in Kayabuki no Sato, Souvenir Shop Kaya no Sato is a lovely place that adds color to your travel memories.
Inside the shop, you’ll find a selection of simple yet deeply flavorful items nurtured by Miyama’s rich natural environment.
From rice cake and dumplings made with glutinous rice and millet to handmade cookies, each item offers a gentle taste that brings out the quality of its ingredients.
At Kitamura Kibi Kobo, which is open only on weekends and national holidays, you can also take a relaxing break while enjoying freshly made rice cakes and dumplings.

Roadside Station Miyama Fureai Hiroba in Miyama Town, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a spot packed with local charm and made up of three facilities.
At Furatto Miyama, you’ll find ingredients unique to Miyama, including rice, sweetfish, venison, and wild boar sausages. Fresh seasonal vegetables grown with the blessings of Miyama’s natural environment sometimes sell out by the morning.
In addition, sweets made with Miyama Milk, such as cheesecake and pudding, are also extremely popular.

Kayabuki no Sato Noda Store is a long-established local shop that has supported the daily lives of local residents.
Although it had been closed for a long time, it reopened in 2024 as a place connecting the community and visitors.
Today, in addition to daily necessities and snacks, it also serves as a souvenir shop carrying attractive products unique to Miyama.
Among its most popular items with tourists are Kayabuki no Sato support goods, such as tenugui hand towels, ballpoint pens, and pin badges printed with scenes of thatched-roof landscapes.
Part of the sales from these items is used for preservation society activities to protect the scenery and way of life of Kayabuki no Sato, so be sure to pick up something if you can.
Noda Store also distributes tourist pamphlets and provides sightseeing guidance for the village, so it’s a great first stop.