Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato (Car)

This course takes you on a walk inside Hiyoshi Dam, built on the Katsura River, before driving north to Miyama to stroll through Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato with its rows of thatched-roof houses, and visiting the Miyama Folk Museum in the village to experience the inside of a thatched-roof house and old-time rural living. Enjoy the tranquil scenery of a mountain hamlet where people still live today.

History & Regional Charm

Miyama is located about 50 kilometers north of Kyoto City. Once a remote settlement deep in the mountains, it consists of numerous small hamlets along the Yura River basin. Thatched-roof houses, which were once common in this area, continue to be used as actual residences today, such as in Kayabuki-no-Sato. In 2021, the United Nations World Tourism Organization selected Miyama as one of the "Best Tourism Villages," recognizing its tourism initiatives that utilize the power of local residents while preserving culture, tradition, and rich biodiversity.

In particular, Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato in the Kita area of Miyama features thatched roofs on 39 of its 50 houses, and was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in December 1993. The first stop, Hiyoshi Dam on the Katsura River, was built to reduce flood damage downstream and supply tap water to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo Prefectures; it took 37 years from conception to completion, with management beginning in April 1998. In a single day, you will visit a dam that protects river livelihoods and a thatched village preserved in the mountains.

Major Highlights

• ​Hiyoshi Dam​​: A concrete gravity dam standing 67.4 meters high and 438 meters long. In 1993, it was designated as the first "Dam Open to the Region," and allowing the public to tour the inside of the dam body was the first initiative of its kind in Japan. The Info Gallery introduces the history of the dam's construction and its functions, and at the very back, you can view the massive gates that release water during floods. The reservoir, Lake Amawaka, has been selected among the Top 100 Dam Lakes.
• ​Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato​​: A settlement sprawling across a terraced slope against the northern mountain range at the uppermost reaches of the Yura River. "Kitayama Style" thatched houses, characterized by hip-and-gable roofs (irimoya-zukuri) with beautiful chigi (forked roof finials) and gable designs, blend harmoniously with stone walls, farm fields, and village paths. As a fire prevention measure, 62 water cannons are installed throughout the village, and during the simultaneous inspections held every May and December, water shoots up from all of them at once.
• ​Miyama Folk Museum​​: A museum within the settlement consisting of three Kitayama Style farm buildings: the main building (omoya), a barn, and a storehouse. Originally a farmhouse residence from about 200 years ago, the main building and barn were destroyed by fire in 2000, but were reconstructed to their original form based on detailed surviving records. Visitors can climb into the attic to view the underside of the thatched roof up close, alongside displays of more than 200 tools from daily life and farming of the past.

Recommended Route & Travel Time

The recommended duration is about 6 hours. First, head to Hiyoshi Dam and tour inside the dam at the Info Gallery. You can also reach the crest of the dam via the elevator in the Info Gallery. Just below the dam is Michi-no-Eki Springs Hiyoshi.

From Hiyoshi Dam to Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato, the straight-line distance is about 20 kilometers to the northeast. Because people live in the village, cars and motorcycles are not permitted to enter, except for those belonging to residents and authorized personnel. Park in the parking lot in front of the village and stroll around while being mindful of the residents' daily lives. Inside the village, Kayabuki-no-Sato Noda Shoten provides tourist brochures and guidance for the area.

Because the Miyama Folk Museum does not have its own parking lot, it is about an 8-minute walk from the Kayabuki-no-Sato parking lot. Prior reservations are requested for groups of 15 or more. Entering the museum after viewing the settlement from the outside allows you to gain a closer understanding of how thatched houses are built.

Summary of the Experience

The flood gates viewed from inside the dam, the thatched roofs lining the mountain slope, and the layers of thatch seen from the attic. Enjoy driving through Kyoto's northern mountains to take in both a dam protecting life along the river and a thatched village preserved through generations of ongoing residential life.