Article

20323 ／みよたまち

Nagano Prefecture 北佐久郡

Miyota Town

Princesses stayed at a small post town.

Odai-juku, Princess Post Town

Photo by Bryanmackinnon (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Shinraku-ji three-story pagoda

Only the front of the ground floor has a doorway,a design thought to face Mt. Asama behind it.

This three-story pagoda, said to have been built around 1751 (Kanpo 4), is a Nagano Prefectural Treasure. The Hachijuni Cultural Foundation's description says its first story emphasizes the front, with a doorway only on the front and an interior like a Buddhist hall, and that few such pagodas exist anywhere in Japan. Mt. Asama rises behind the pagoda.

Nagano Prefectural Treasure, designated April 21, 2003
Built around 1751 (Kanpo 4)
Doorway on the front of the first story only

02 ／ Yakemachi pottery

From a Jomon settlement on Mt. Asama's southern foot,Yakemachi pottery came out in quantity.

The finds from the Kawarada Site are a set from the Middle Jomon period, designated an Important Cultural Property on June 7, 1999. They comprise 30 deep bowls and 1 shallow bowl, 39 clay objects, and 76 stone tools and stone objects. The Hachijuni Cultural Foundation's description says Yakemachi pottery is a deep bowl with a geometric pattern in half-relief over the whole surface and ear-like projections on the rim.

Important Cultural Property, designated June 7, 1999
30 deep bowls and 1 shallow bowl
39 clay objects, 76 stone tools and stone objects

03 ／ Ryujin Festival and the Koga Saburo legend

Koga Saburo, wandering underground, is saidto have emerged in a large pond at Shinraku-ji.

The Ryujin Festival is based on the Koga Saburo dragon legend handed down in this region. According to the town, Saburo was thrown into a deep hole on Mt. Tateshina, wandered underground, and emerged in the large pond at Shinraku-ji, where he had become a dragon. The festival begins with a dragon eye-opening ceremony in the temple grounds.

Held on the last Saturday of July each year (town)
Begins with the eye-opening ceremony at Shinraku-ji
Based on the Koga Saburo dragon legend

Miyota Town 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 November–December 2019)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

From Shinjuku, 207 minutes by highway bus to Miyota Station.

about 20,000 people
Rural district town

Miyota is a town in Kitasaku District, spread across the southern foot of Mt. Asama. Trip No. 5 of the Seibu Bus Chikuma highway bus line leaves Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal at 9:30 and reaches the Miyota Station stop at 12:57. The only railway station in town is Miyota Station on the Shinano Railway, which is the gateway. The area is 58.79 km².

People living here: 15,555people
Area: 58.79km²
Households: 6,711households
Rent (average for rentals): 51,271yen
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 10 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —4 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.

Miyota Town in Japan36.322°N 138.507°E

to ShinjukuHighway bus207min

Travel times follow 西武バス高速バス『千曲線』の時刻表（バスタ新宿発・軽井沢5便 9:30→御代田駅前 12:57。毎日運転の最速。運行日注意の印・脚注の無い便） (checked 2026-10-21). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Miyota Town

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

14.9km

Nagano Prefecture: Komoro City, Karuizawa Town, Saku City
Gunma Prefecture: Tsumagoi Village

Miyota Town isthis kind of town.

01Odai-juku is the 21st post town on the Nakasendo counted from Itabashi in Edo, and a town-designated historic site. With only about five inns, it is also called the Princess Post Town, as many women, including Imperial Princess Kazunomiya and princesses of imperial and court families, stayed or rested there
02The Shinraku-ji three-story pagoda is a Nagano Prefectural Treasure, and the Hachijuni Cultural Foundation considers its front-only doorway to be a design that takes Mt. Asama into account. The finds from the Kawarada Site are an Important Cultural Property and include Middle Jomon Yakemachi pottery
03The Ryujin Festival is based on the Koga Saburo dragon legend, in which Saburo is said to have emerged in the large pond at Shinraku-ji. The town also has the Miyota milestone mounds, a prefectural historic site

See the town as it is now.

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

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Miyota Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes