Kumogahata

Kumogahata 雲ヶ畑

Overview

The mountain village of Kumogahata, while technically part of Kyoto City, is a world apart from the rest of the city. From downtown just a one hour bike ride - 30 minutes if you are coming from Kitayama - is rural village life (with a chic city address).

A winding road follows the course of the Kumogahata River - one of the sources for the Kamo River, the main river in Kyoto - up to one of several villages snug in the mountains.

The main attractions are the clean air, the river (though, to be honest, in places it has a lot of trash strewn in it), and the villages themselves. They are made up mostly of traditional farm houses. In addition, there are a few small temples.

The history of the area pre-dates that of Heiankyo, as Kyoto was first known, which makes it more than a thousand years old. While mainly a cluster of rural villages, Kumogahata was also home to the Emperor's stables while he was resident in Kyoto, until the 1860s. The area was and is rich in game - bear, deer, fox, boar, and tanuki - and emperors often hunted here.

Another attraction is the annual Kumogahata Torch-throwing Festival. It is held in two places: Kumogahata-demachi and Naka-cho. Each year a different Chinese character is used, and is kept secret until lit on the night of August 24th.

On the weekends and in good weather, the river and campground are often used. The area is also an area good for hiking and cycling, and there will be others on the road. 

This ride is not easy in places and involves a decent climb. Also, you will pass a few storage facilities run by companies that deal in industrial waste. If you plan on swimming, it would be better to do so above and beyond these companies.

For the really macho, it is possible to continue up to the Mochi Koshi Pass.

Road to Kumogahata	Traditional House Kumogahata

Getting to the Starting Point

The road up to Kumogahata branches off from the Kamo River, a few miles north of Kitayma, after you pass a baseball field on your left. The climb begins shortly after this point.

Directions

From City Hall, ride north on Kawaramachi Dori until you get to Imadegawa. Continue one block and turn right. Cross the bridge. Now on this side of the river, ride down and along the river. Follow the Kamo River up to Kitayama on the east bank. Come up to street level at Kamigamo Shrine (the map takes you to the public bath first - for obvious reasons, we recommend you go here at the end of the ride). Ride the north-south street that runs parallel to the river. With the river on your left, continue until the houses start to thin out a bit. After you pass the massive MK taxi headquarters, on your right will be farmer's fields and a green factory. There is a weir in the river to your left. Soon a little league baseball diamond will appear on your left. Beyond the field, you will come to larger road - route 61 - turn right and follow it all the way up.

Total Riding Time

3-4 hours.

More Information

Kounji Temple

Near Itsukushima Shrine

Entrance Fee: free

Itsukushima Shrine

Close to the junior high school, up a bit from the road

Entrance Fee: free

Take no Yu Public Bath (close to Kamigamo Shrine)

075 791 0584

Entrance Fee: 420 yen

Map

Kumogahata Route

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