[Yabu Yabu City Hyogo Prefecture ] Just 2 hours from Osaka! A guide to the beautiful natural surroundings of Yabu City

• Table of Contents
• What kind of city is Yabu?
• Nature in Yabu City
• History of Yabu City
• Yabu City Specialties
• Access to Yabu City
• How about visiting Yabu City, surrounded by nature?
• There are many other attractions in Yabu City!
• Click here for tourist information about Yabu City!

What kind of city is Yabu?

Yabu City was established on April 1, 2004, with the merger of the four towns of Yoka, Yabu, Oya, and Sekinomiya in Yabu County, Hyogo Prefecture.
The first-class river, the Maruyama River, flows from southeast to northeast in the eastern part of the city, and the Yoka and Sekinomiya areas are located along its tributary, the Yagi River, while the Yabu and Oya areas are located along the Oya River.
Yabu City is dotted with beautiful spots throughout the seasons, such as the " Bekku Terraced Rice Fields" in a scenic spot overlooking Mt. Hyonosen , "Tendaki" selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan, Genji fireflies in Okumeji, and "Yabu Shrine" famous for its autumn leaves! 🏔✨

Nature in Yabu City

Yabu City is filled with beautiful, rich and majestic nature, including Hyogo Prefecture's highest mountain, "Mt. Hyonosen", and the prefecture's most famous waterfall, "Tendaki"!
Why not experience the great outdoors in a way that's a little different from other tourist destinations?
It is one of the prefecture's leading outdoor paradises, bustling with people going trekking and mountain climbing in spring and autumn, camping under the clear, star-filled sky in summer, and skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports! ✨

Mount Hyonosen

667-0324 Yokoiki, Oyacho, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

Mt. Hyonosen (1,510m), the highest mountain in Hyogo Prefecture, is a treasure trove of nature that is among the best in the Kinki region! The surrounding area is blessed with an excellent natural environment, and the only remaining subarctic wetland plants in western Japan are in this area, and the golden eagle, a national natural monument, lives here, making this an area that maintains one of the best natural environments in the Kinki region. During the green season, many people visit the area to enjoy the views and plants, as well as mountain climbing, hiking, valley walks, and camping. Many photographers also come to capture Mt. Hyonosen, which shows different faces depending on the season. One of the most popular photos is the "upside-down Mt. Hyonose" reflected in the rice paddies, taken from the terraced rice fields of Bekku before rice planting in early May, and is visited by many photographers every year.

Bekku Rice Terraces

667-1122 Betsumiya, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

Bekku Rice Terraces are rice terraces that spread out on the middle slope of Mt. Hachibuse. Located at an altitude of 700m, this scenic spot overlooks Mt. Hyonosen, the roof of Hyogo, and is a pristine Japanese landscape that remains to this day. Nearby is Bekku no Ookatsura, a natural monument designated by Hyogo Prefecture, and the abundant spring water that flows from its base irrigates the vast rice paddies, creating a beautiful view of the rice terraces. Photographs of the upside-down Mt. Hyonosen reflected in the rice paddies taken from the Bekumiya rice terraces in early May before rice planting are very popular, and attract many photographers every year.

Tendaki Falls

667-0322 Hyogo Prefecture Yabu City Oyacho Ikada

From the parking lot at the entrance to Tendaki Valley, walk 1.2km up the mountain path alongside the stream and suddenly a column of white water will appear before you. This waterfall, which flows down as if it is falling from the sky, is Tendaki, the prefecture's largest waterfall with a drop of 98m. Tendaki was selected as one of Japan's 100 Best Waterfalls because of its majestic and powerful appearance and the legends surrounding it. In the valley leading to Tendaki, there are also waterfalls such as Meotodaki, Tsutsumigataki, and Itodaki. The waterfalls change color with the seasons, from the fresh greenery of spring to the autumn leaves of autumn, and frozen in the bitter cold.

History of Yabu City

Yabu City has a long history, and Jomon period pottery, stone tools, and cave ritual remains have been discovered there, as well as many cultural assets reminiscent of the Kofun period.
During the Edo period, the area along the Maruyama River was a key transportation hub in the Tajima region, including the Sanin Kaido road and boat transport, and raw silk merchants flourished there. It also became a base for trading Tajima beef in the Kinki region.
During the Meiji period, spinning factories and other businesses moved in, and commerce and industry developed. "The Akenobe Mine", which dates back to the Heian period, boasted the largest tin production in Japan!
Be sure to check out the old townscape that still remains today and the historical heritage sites designated as national cultural properties! 👀✅

Akenobe Mine

667-0436 Hyogo Prefecture Yabu City Oyacho Akenobe

Akenobe Mine is an old mine where legend has it that copper was used to cast the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in Nara. In 1909, a tin vein was discovered and the mine flourished as "Japan's largest tin mine." It was the largest tin mine in Japan, accounting for 90% of the nation's total. Parts of the mine are now open to the public as exploration tunnels, where visitors can see the exposed rock surfaces, ground, jackhammers, mining vehicles, and more. (Reservation required) Every Sunday, there is also a Sunday Mine Tour, where visitors can tour the mine without making a reservation. You can also experience a ride on the 1 yen train that once carried people and ore.

Yabu Shrine

667-0112 840 Yabu Ichiba, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

This shrine is one of the five major shrines in Tajima. It has long been known as "Yabu no Myojin-san"(a title for Shinto gods) and has been loved by locals as the god of agriculture. In addition, since the buying and selling of cattle, which are necessary for farming, was under the control of Yabu Shrine, the god of cattle is also enshrined there. As one of the most famous spots for viewing autumn leaves in Hyogo Prefecture, it is crowded with many tourists and photographers in early November.

Oshoya Memorial Hall

667-0114 36 kojyo , Yabu City Hyogo Prefecture

The Yabu City Oshoya Memorial Hall is located on a hill behind the kojyo village in Yabu City . This building is a preserved residence of Nagashima Zen'emon, a headman who ruled over 18 villages in the Izushi domain during the late Edo period. On the first floor of the annex, there is a sliding door painting of Taikobo by the artist Kobayashi Takusen. In addition, there is a plaque on display by Baron Kitagaki Kawara , who served as the governor of Kyoto , that reads, "The fresh colors and fragrance of spring." At the back of the detached building there is an Oribe lantern, which is said to have been designed by Furuta Oribe and is also known as a Christian lantern. The detached house, decorated with sliding door paintings and Chinese poetry by artists such as Kobayashi Takusen, Ikeda Kunimichi, Ikeda Soan, Ema Tenko, and Tani Tetsuomi, is a magnificent building that can be called a museum of rural culture. The house of a wealthy farmer, surrounded by high Ishigaki and built on a hill alongside a valley stream, represents the typical rural landscape of Tajima, and it was opened as the Yabu Town Folk Museum, the first museum in the Tajima region to be housed in a wealthy farmer's house (it was renamed Yabu City Oshoya Memorial Museum in 2004). It has been selected as one of the "100 Hyogo Cultural Sites" by the Hyogo Prefecture.

Yabu City Specialties

The area is filled with a variety of ingredients nurtured by the rich natural environment, including many of its proud delicacies, including "Asakura Sansho pepper" and "Jyamongan rice".
Please use this as a reference for souvenirs! ✨

Asakura Sansho

"Asakura Sansho pepper" originated in Asakura, Yoka City, Yabu Town.
There are records that Toyotomi Hideyoshi mixed burnt Japanese pepper into hot water, described it as "elegant," and that the Ikuno magistrate, Mamiya Naomoto, presented it to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Compared to other types of Japanese pepper, it has a stronger fragrance, larger grains, a mellow taste, and a refreshing, fruity citrus-like aroma.

Jyamongan rice

The serpentine belt where "Jyamongan rice" is grown is rich soil endowed with magnesium and potassium.
Rice grown in an environment permeated with water from the Mt. Hyonosen mountain range, with just the right amount of sunlight and temperature difference between day and night, is characterized by its sweetness, stickiness, and fluffy deliciousness.

Yoka Pork

"Yoka Pork" is a rare brand of pork that is only sold locally because it is raised on a single farm in the midst of lush greenery, with great care and effort.
The meat is tender, and the sweet, fragrant, high-quality fat retains its flavor even when it cools!

Access to Yabu City

If you are coming by car

About 2 hours from Osaka
About 1 hour and 30 minutes from Kobe
〇Osaka/Kobe → (Chugoku Expressway) → Yoshikawa JC → (Maizuru Wakasa Expressway) → Kasuga IC → (Kitakinki Toyooka Expressway) → Yabu IC or Yoka Mt. Hyonosen IC
〇Osaka/Kobe → (Chugoku Expressway) → Fukusaki IC → (Bantan Link Road) → Yabu IC or Yoka Mt. Hyonosen IC

About 2 hours and 30 minutes from Kyoto
Kyoto → National Route 9 → (Kyoto Longitudinal Road) → National Route 9

If you are coming by train

From Osaka: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes by express train (get off at Yoka Station)

From Kyoto: Approximately 2 hours by express train (get off at Yoka Station)

From Kobe: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes by express train (get off at Yoka Station)

How about visiting Yabu City, surrounded by nature?

Who would have guessed that Yabu City is such a fascinating city?
Yabu City is filled with so much to see that you can't see it all in one visit!
Please come and visit Yabu City!

There are many other attractions in Yabu City!

Yabu city is full of charm all year round! Please see this article for recommended spots in Yabu city.

Click here for tourist information about Yabu City!

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Yabu City Tourism Association (Japanese)
Official Yabu Travel Guide (English)

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