LOCATION

A beautiful Japanese village

Soni Village

曽爾村

A beautiful village in the back yard of the Yamato Kogen (highlands). Visit here to enjoy rare natural scenery that can only be seen here, and camping grounds to immerse yourself.

Soni-kogen (highlands)

The pampas grassland spreads across the valley to the mountains. There is a walking trail in the grassland, and it is possible to take a casual stroll without carrying heavy equipment. There is a hot spring nearby, an ideal location to heal your weary body after the stroll. Visitors can see the starry sky clearly at night.

LOCATION

Access
Roughly 150 minutes from Sakurai Station
Kintetsu Sakurai Station → (Express [Kyukou] bound for Isuzugawa 10 minutes) → Nabari Station → Bus Stop Nabari Station platform 1 → Mie Kotsu Bus No. 20 or No. 21 bound for Yamagasu Nishi 37 minutes → Taroji → 1 hour on foot
* Note that there are only a few buses each day
Sightseeing Duration
1 hour 30 minutes

Byobu Iwa (sheer perpendicular cliff)

Natural national monument

屏風岩

A strange rock that looks like a folding screen. It is a perpendicular cliff with a height of 200m and a width of 2km. It is especially beautiful during the cherry blossom season in the spring and the foliage season in the fall, but it is less popular during other seasons and one can monopolize its natural beauty then.

LOCATION

Access
Roughly 150 minutes from Sakurai Station  Fare ¥1,300
Kintetsu Sakurai Station → (Express [Kyukou] bound for Isuzugawa 10 minutes ) → Haibara Station → Bus Stop Haibara Station platform 2 → Nara Kotsu Bus No. 27 bound for Sonimurayakubamae 50 minutes → Soni Nagano → (1 hour on foot) → Byobu Iwa
* Note that there are only a few buses each day
Sightseeing Duration
1 hour

Village of Myths

Mitsue Village

御杖村

Tucked away in the Yamato Highland, this village is surrounded by the grandeur of the natural world. We recommend a stroll through the old town, situated amidst the nature along the old pilgrim’s road to Ise, or going out to savor the forests and mountains.

Mitsue Jinja Shrine / Date of construction unknown

The shrine pavilion is flanked by two massive trees. It’s said that Yamatohime no Mikoto, the daughter of the 11th Emperor of Japan, Suinin, left a cane here during her travels. The town gets its name from this event: “mi” means “honorable” and “tsue” means cane.

LOCATION

Address
1020 Kozue, Mitsue Village, Uda District, Nara Prefecture
奈良県宇陀郡御杖村神末1020
Access
90 minutes from Sakurai Station
Kintetsu Sakurai Station → (Express [Kyukou] bound for Nabari / Isuzugawa 10 minutes) → Haibara Station → Bus Stop Haibara Station platform 2 → (Nara Kotsu Bus No. 27 bound for Sonim Mura Yakuba Mae 50 minutes) Kakenishiguchi → (Mitsue Fureai Bus 30 minutes) → Kozue Nakamura → short walk
Sightseeing Duration
10 minutes - 15 minutes

Mount Miune

三峰山

Elevation: 1235m. One of the 300 great mountains of Japan. Capped with silver frost in the winter. Its ridgeline is covered by beautiful rhododenrons in the spring.

LOCATION

Access
100 minutes from Sakurai Station Fare ¥1,280 
Kintetsu Sakurai Station → (Express [Kyukou] bound for Nabari / Isuzugawa 10 minutes  Fare) → Haibara Station → Bus Stop Haibara Station platform 2 → (Nara Kotsu Bus No. 27 bound for Sonim Mura Yakuba Mae 50 minutes ) Kakenishiguchi → (Mitsue Fureai Bus 40 minutes) → Miuneyama Tozanguchi
Sightseeing Duration
4 hours - 5 hours round trip