From Muro-ji Temple to the Pampas Grass of Soni Highlands (By Car, Autumn)

After looking up at the five-story pagoda at Muro-ji Temple amid autumn foliage and paying respects at Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine where the dragon god is enshrined, head east by car to Soni Village. Look up at the sheer cliff of columnar jointing, Byobuiwa Rock, and end your journey at Soni Highlands, which is covered with a vast expanse of Japanese pampas grass, watching the waves of plumes swaying in golden hues under the setting sun. This one-day itinerary takes you from mountains of ancient prayer to volcanic mountain hamlets, touring Uda and Soni in autumn.

History and Regional Charm

This course travels from Muro in Uda City toward Soni Village to the east. Mt. Muro was regarded as a sacred site revered by the imperial state and served as a place for rituals praying for rain. It was believed that a dragon god inhabited the mountain caves, and during droughts, imperial messengers conducted rituals here to pray to the dragon god for rain. In the 8th century, Muro-ji Temple was founded on this land. Established based on the faith in the dragon caves, Muro-ji Temple has been worshipped in close union with Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine since ancient times.

Soni Village is situated along the upper reaches of the Shorenji River, a tributary of the Nabari River. The entire area consists of mountainous terrain formed of Muro volcanic rocks, rich in landscapes of peaks and valleys, with many distinctively shaped peaks and scenic spots around Mt. Kabuto and Mt. Yoroi. On the west side of the village stands Byobuiwa Rock, a cliff of columnar jointing, and on the east side lies Soni Highlands, renowned for its vast sea of Japanese pampas grass. A part of Muro centered on Muro-ji Temple and the majority of Soni Village are included in Muro-Akame-Aoyama Quasi-National Park.

The pampas grass of Soni Highlands was once used for the thatched roofs of village homes. It is said that local villagers, wishing to prevent the pampas grass landscape from turning into cedar forests, led Nara Prefecture to place the grasslands under protection. To this day, the landscape is preserved through annual prescribed burning.

Main Highlights

• ​Muro-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Muro-ji branch of the Shingon sect, historically referred to as "Nyonin Koya" (Women's Mount Koya) because women were permitted to visit and worship. At the top of Yoroizaka Slope stands the 9th-century Kondo (Main Hall), designated a National Treasure, and beyond it stands a five-story pagoda, also a National Treasure, measuring about 16 meters in height. It is the smallest outdoor five-story pagoda in Japan. In autumn, the foliage around the Niomon Gate and Yoroizaka Slope takes on vivid colors.
• ​Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine​​: An ancient shrine set in a forest lined with giant cedar trees, enshrining Takaokami-no-Kami, a deity of water. From the Nara period through the Heian period, imperial messengers from the imperial court performed rainmaking rituals here. The current main sanctuary (honden) was built in the Kasuga-zukuri style, relocated from the Wakamiya sanctuary of Kasuga-taisha Shrine in 1671, and is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by Nara Prefecture.
• ​Byobuiwa Rock​​: A cliff face towering west of Mt. Kabuto, resembling a standing folding screen (byobu). The rock face of columnar joints, marked by vertical pillar-like fissures, extends for a width of about 2 kilometers. In 1934, it was designated a National Natural Monument together with Kabutoiwa and Yoroiiwa. In autumn, visitors can enjoy the contrast between the cliff face adorned with autumn leaves and the park at its foot.
• ​Soni Highlands​​: A grassland blanketed in Japanese pampas grass, spreading across the western base of the ridge connecting Mt. Kuroso and Mt. Kameyama. During the day, the grass ripples in silver waves under the sunlight, while at dusk it sways as golden waves catching the evening sun. Midway up the plateau lies Okame-ike Pond, which is associated with the "Okame legend."

Recommended Itinerary & Required Time

The estimated time required is about 6 hours. Pampas grass plumes appear from late September to late November, allowing visitors to enjoy them alongside the autumn leaves at Muro-ji Temple and Byobuiwa Rock. When traveling to Muro-ji Temple by train, take the bus bound for Muro Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine from Kintetsu Muroguchi-Ono Station and get off at "Muro-ji."

At Muro-ji Temple, cross the vermilion taikobashi (arched bridge) over the Muro River, pass through the Niomon Gate, climb Yoroizaka Slope to the Kondo, and proceed to the five-story pagoda beyond. After completing your visit, head about 700 meters east-southeast to Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine. Pray at the shrine pavilion and look up at the giant cedar trees surrounding the grounds. Reaching Kissho Ryuketsu, the rear shrine, takes about 30 minutes on foot via Prefectural Road 28 and a forest path, so feel free to extend your walk if you have extra time.

From Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine, drive southeast about 5.4 kilometers in a straight line toward Byobuiwa Rock. Look up at the rock face from Byobuiwa Koen Park at its base, tracing the vertical fissures etched into the southern face from bottom to top.

About 6 kilometers east-northeast from Byobuiwa Rock lies Soni Highlands. By car, it is about a 1-minute walk from Noguchi Parking Lot, or about a 15-minute walk from the parking lot at Soni Highlands Farm Garden. For a full view of Okame-ike Pond, climbing up to Kameyama Pass behind the pond is recommended. Timing your arrival for dusk when the pampas grass glows golden is highly recommended. Open fires are strictly prohibited on the highlands. If visiting only the highlands, access by train and bus is also possible. Take a Mie Kotsu bus bound for Yamakasunishi from Nabari Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line, get off at "Taroji," and walk about 45 minutes; buses running directly to Soni Highlands operate in October and November.

Summary of the Experience

Look up at the small five-story pagoda at a temple built on a mountain where the dragon god dwells, and offer a prayer to the water deity at a shrine surrounded by cedar forests. From there, venture into the volcanic mountain village, trace the vertical cracks in the soaring cliff face with your eyes, and conclude your journey across a vast field of Japanese pampas grass. From the heights of Kameyama Pass, watch the colors of the pampas grass transform from silver in the daytime to radiant gold at dusk.