About an hour on a single limited express train from Kyoto Station, further to the northeast and approaching Kyoto’s northern coast is Ayabe, an area that’s perfect for farm stays and forest bathing. In fact, you can literally bathe in the forest with the hot spring pools of Ayabe Onsen, or at least get close to it: here, you can soak in an outdoor bath looking out through the mist over the forests of Ayabe’s Kanbayashi area. In addition to being supremely relaxing, the onsen waters here are also known for their skin-beautifying properties.
At night, go to rest in a farmstay like Poka Poka Farm or Satoyama Guesthouse Couture (see below) for a truly immersive experience in the Japanese countryside. When you’re ready to explore again, be sure to visit the historical Komyo-ji Temple, whose 13th century Niomon Gate is designated a National Treasure. Bright red against the forests on the mountainside, this multi-storied gate is built with a “tochibuki” style of wood shingles that’s unusual even in Japan.
Niomon Gate and Komyo-ji Temple
You’ll find Komyo-ji Temple on a mountain slope in the forests of Ayabe City. It was said to have been founded by the legendary Prince Shotoku (572-622). The temple’s main Niomon Gate was constructed …
・Getting to Ayabe From Kyoto City
By train/bus: From Kyoto Station, take a limited express train on the JR Sagano (San’in) Line to Ayabe Station. (About 60 minutes)
By car: Take the Kyoto Jukan Expressway via National Route 27 (About 1 hour 15 minutes)
・Finding Accomodation in Ayabe Poka Poka Farm: A picturesque farmstay location. *Pick-up service can be arranged if you contact the guest house in advance.
Satoyama Guest House Couture: A beautiful, traditional guest house just outside of Ayabe. *Pick-up service can be arranged from Omachi Bus Terminal, or Higashi Maizuru Station if you contact the guest house in advance.
Shoreki-ji Temple: Spend the night at a historical temple! There are other unique experiences to try as well, including meditation in the bamboo grotto, sutra writing, and more.
Fukuchiyama
Just 75 minutes on a single limited express from Kyoto Station, Fukuchiyama is full of both history and legend on a grand scale. One of the area’s most famous locations is the historical Fukuchiyama Castle, which includes a stately three-layered four-storied castle tower atop a hill on which cherry blossoms bloom in the springtime. Originally built by the warlord Akechi Mitsuhide 1579, the current structure is a carefully crafted reconstruction of the historical castle’s unique design.
Fukuchiyama Castle
Before Fukuchiyama Castle, there was Yokoyama Castle, a fortress of the Yokoyama, the local ruling family. Akechi Mitsuhide, the samurai who subjugated Tamba, rebuilt the fortress using state-of-the-a …
Another unique location in Fukuchiyama dates back even further: Motoise Naigu Kotai Shrine enshrined Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun, before she was moved to Ise Grand Shrine. In fact, this shrine predates Ise Grand Shrine—whose history stretches back nearly 2,000 years, according to some records—by 54 years!
Motoise Naiku, Amanoiwato Shrine
This ancient shrine is one of the locations at which Amaterasu, the Shinto Goddess of the Sun, was enshrined before moving to Ise-jingu Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture. In fact, this shrine predates Is …
Of course there’s nature aplenty here, too. Mt. Oe is not only a wonderful location for hiking amidst the greenery or autumn foliage, but is also known as the land of the “oni,” traditional Japanese monsters or demons. In fact, the greatest of the oni, Shuten Doji was said to have made Mt. Oe his home, so venture through if you dare! If you want to learn more about the oni folklore of the region, you can stop by the Japan Oni Cultural Museum, which has some wonderful collections of oni masks and artifacts.
Visit Mt. Oe in the right season, and you can be treated to a different kind of “supernatural” view: this is also a wonderful location to catch a view of the unkai “sea of fog”!
Japan Oni Cultural Museum
The Japan Oni Cultural Museum is appropriately located at the foot of the Oeyama mountain range, home to the most notorious “oni” (demon or ogre) in Japan, Shuten Doji. The museum explains local folkl …
・Getting to Fukuchiyama From Kyoto City
By train/bus: Take a limited express train on the JR Sagano (San’in) Line from Kyoto Station to Fukuchiyama Station (About 1 hr 15 minutes).
By car: From Kyoto, take the Kyoto Jukan Expressway and Route 9 (Approx. 1 hr 45 minutes)
・Finding Accomodation in Fukuchiyama Furuma-ya: A cozy, traditional country house and farmstay owned by a multicultural couple. Complimentary pick-up service can be provided upon request. *Please inquire about pick-up service availability.
Abura-ya: Drink in the nature at this country home in Obara, Fukuchiyama.
