Miyama is a village hidden behind the mountains, far from the modernity of Kyoto Station. While it is easily accessible from Kameoka or Kyoto, it is also a place that many travelers, or locals for that matter, have not step foot in. Its literal meaning is beautiful mountain in Japanese, so let me count the joys of be surrounded by the happiness of being here. From the fresh air to the lump in the heart feeling you get from seeing it for the first time, it is like the scene in the sound of music where you want to run down the mountain pasture and sing at the top of your voice.
The thatched farm houses built in the gassho zukuri or praying hands style give the village a fairytale quality, while its rural community of craftsmen and farming folk lends an air of authenticity. Despite its similarity with the UNESCO heritage listed village of Shirakawa-go in nearby Gifu Prefecture, it is the kind of place that you can have to yourself.
