Article

07402 ／きたしおばらむら

Fukushima Prefecture 耶麻郡

Kitashiobara Village

The village records over 300 alpine plants in a marsh.

Oguninuma Marsh plant community

Photo by Koji-Matsukura (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Mountain castle site

From remains that combine castle and road,one can also read how a domain border was defended.

The village board of education describes a mountain castle that the Ashina clan of Aizu used as a stronghold for defending Aizu in the late Sengoku period. A castle approach and a group of main-enclosure remains survive, and surveys are clarifying how the Ashina built castles in the late 16th century. The land is private, and snow hides the remains in the snowy season.

National Historic Site (notified March 15, 2022)
Ashina castle building of the late 16th century
Remains combining castle and road

02 ／ Salt wells

"The village has salt wells, hence the name,"the Shinpen Aizu Fudoki says of Oshio Village.

The village board's leaflet says Oshio had salt wells in the Edo period, and that making "yamashio" by boiling brine was an industry. The Shinpen Aizu Fudoki gives the east well rim as about 3.9 m around, the west as about 4.5 m, and both as about 3 m deep.

Yamashio making in the Edo period
East well rim about 3.9 m around
West well rim about 4.5 m, depth about 3 m

03 ／ Old road

An old road of about 56 km from Aizuwakamatsu to Yonezawa.The stretch from Hibara Pass via Oshio is a selected Historic Road.

The village says it is one of the five main roads inside the Aizu domain, linking Aizuwakamatsu and Yonezawa over about 56 km. The selected stretch runs from Hibara Pass through Oshio. It was added on October 29, 2019, and the village board says post towns and mile mounds still remain in places.

About 56 km, Aizuwakamatsu to Yonezawa
Selected stretch: Hibara Pass to Oshio
Added on October 29, 2019

Kitashiobara Village from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot August–September 2013)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

18 minutes by local bus from Kitakata Station.

about 3,000 people
Rural district town

There is no railway station in the village. The Aizu Bus Kitakata, Oshio and Urabandai line runs from the Kitakata Station stop to the Kitashiobara Village Office stop. In the timetable revised on October 1, 2026, the same trips appear on weekdays and on weekends and holidays, and the fastest bus from Kitakata Station takes 18 minutes. There are only two such buses a day.

People living here: 2,556people
Area: 234.08km²
Households: 1,003households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 4 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —1 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Kitashiobara Village in Japan37.656°N 139.938°E

Kitashiobara Village Office — 北塩原村役場2010

to KitakataLocal bus18min

Travel times follow 会津バス『喜多方・大塩・裏磐梯線』の時刻表PDF（2026/10/1ダイヤ改正。平日用・土日祝用の2ページ。元日のみ運休）。https://www.aizubus.com/pdf/喜多方裏磐梯_20261001 。『喜多方駅前』→『北塩原村役場前』 (checked 2026-10-28). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Kitashiobara Village

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

19.6km

Fukushima Prefecture: Kitakata City, Inawashiro Town, Bandai Town
Yamagata Prefecture: Yonezawa City

Kitashiobara Village isthis kind of town.

01The Oguninuma Marsh plant community is a national natural monument, and the village says over 300 alpine plants grow in about 180 ha of marsh
02Kashiwagi Castle Site is a mountain castle that the Ashina clan used as a stronghold for defending Aizu in the late Sengoku period, and its remains of castle and road were notified as a National Historic Site
03Oshio had salt wells in the Edo period, and the stretch of the Aizu-Yonezawa road from Hibara Pass via Oshio was added to the selected Historic Roads

See the town as it is now.

Facebookvill.kitashiobara ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kitashiobara Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes