Last Updated: May 19, 2024

Kyoto’s Magical Miyama

Kayabuki-no-Sato & So Much More

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you’ve probably already heard that Japan has a bit of an overtourism problem. As you might imagine, the issue is especially prevalent in the big cities, with Kyoto in particular bearing much of the brunt of the demand. While the historical locations and traditions of Japan’s ancient capital are indeed alluring, the crowds make it unbearable, even for first-time visitors to Kyoto. If you want to escape the legions of mass tourism, you’re going to need to get off the beaten path, but luckily I have just the spot for you — Miyama and its beautiful Kayabuki-no-Sato.

To be frank with you, I see the bucolic sight of Miyama’s thatched roof houses pop up on Instagram every now and then. Alas, despite being located only around 90 minutes north of Kyoto City proper, I doubt many of the people who come across these posts put two and two together. This is a real shame, as Miyama’s Kayabuki-no-Sato is just the kind of easy-to-add-on hidden gem that I think more foreign visitors to Japan need to tack onto their itineraries.

While there are a great number of historic homes in Miyama with thatched roofs, the most well-known is a cluster of around 40 buildings that is known as the Kayabuki-no-Sato…