Ayabe City

Two-tier gate roofed in chestnut boards.

Komyoji Niomon Gate

Photo by Nnn at Japanese Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Washi paper

Said to have been started by fugitive Heike warriorsas a trade to leave their descendants: a hand-papermaking village.

黒谷町を流れる黒谷川.jpg — Photo by 漱石の猫 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kyoto Prefecture describes Kurotani as one of the few paper-making villages left in Kyoto. It is handed down that fugitive Heike warriors quietly began the work as a trade to leave their descendants, and it grew in the Edo period. Paper is made from kozo, mitsumata and gampi, and fine kozo from Tamba and Tango plus the clear Kurotani River suited the craft.

One of the few paper villages left in Kyoto
Grew in the Edo period
Kozo, mitsumata and gampi

02 ／ Tumulus

River stones carried from the Yura Riverwere laid over the mound's three tiers.

A large round tomb built around the mid-5th century, roughly 70 m across and 10 m high. River stones were laid as fukiishi (cover stones) over the slopes of its three tiers, and rows of haniwa clay cylinders ring the flat levels. It became a National Historic Site in 1994 (Heisei 6), and is now a historic park restored to its original appearance.

Built around the mid-5th century
About 70 m across, 10 m high
National Historic Site, 1994 (Heisei 6)

03 ／ Hamlets

The city designated five hamlets facing depopulation and ageingas "Suigen no Sato".

古屋（奥上林）4.JPG — Photo by エコ殿様 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In fiscal 2006 (Heisei 18), Ayabe City designated five hamlets struggling to keep their communities going amid depopulation and ageing as "Suigen no Sato" (villages at the water's source). A five-year ordinance followed in fiscal 2007, and a new ordinance in fiscal 2012 widened the eligible hamlets to 56, designated on application.

Five hamlets designated in fiscal 2006
Five-year ordinance, fiscal 2007
Eligible hamlets widened to 56, fiscal 2012

Living here

65 minutes from Kyoto to Ayabe by limited express.

about 30,000 people

The gateway is JR Ayabe Station. From Kyoto Station it takes 65 minutes at the fastest by limited express on the JR San-in Main Line, with no change of trains. City Hall is about a 15-minute walk from JR Ayabe Station.

People living here: 31,846people
Area: 347.1km²
Households: 13,735households
Rent (average for rentals): 46,548yen
Healthcare: 3 hospitals ／ 27 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —8 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.

Ayabe City in Japan35.299°N 135.259°E

to KyotoJR limited express65min

Travel times follow JR西日本「JRおでかけネット」の駅時刻表（綾部駅山陰本線園部・京都方面／福知山・豊岡方面。2026-10-08 に表示、改正日 2026年10月03日、データは『JR時刻表』2026年10月号）と、各列車の「列車時刻表」ページ (checked 2026-10-08). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 6 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Ayabe City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)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

21.2km

Kyoto Prefecture: 福知山市, 舞鶴市, 京丹波町, 南丹市
Fukui Prefecture: おおい町, 高浜町

Ayabe City isthis kind of town.

01Komyoji's Niomon is a National Treasure: a two-tier gate with a hip-and-gable roof shingled in chestnut, on the trekking route up Mount Kimino-o
02Kurotani is a village of hand-made paper, and Kisaichi Maruyama Kofun is a three-tier round tomb and National Historic Site; the Hijirizuka and Ayamezuka tombs are also National Historic Sites, and Hijirizuka is a square tomb 54 m on a side
03The Suigen no Sato scheme began in fiscal 2006, and in 1950 the city assembly adopted a world federation city declaration that the city calls Japan's first; Kyoto is 65 minutes away by limited express

See the town as it is now.

Facebookayabecity ↗

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

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Ayabe City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗