Yamazoe Village

Site work found an estimated 600 t rock.

Choju-iwa, Furusato Center

Photo by Tamago Moffle (CC BY-SA 2.0)

01 ／ Yamato vegetable

The name of Katahira's red turnipwas set by a vote of all 140 residents.

Katahira akane is a long, slender red turnip that has been grown in Katahira, Yamazoe, since long ago; Nara Prefecture says that pickled in sweet vinegar it turns bright red to the core. Its name was given in spring 2006 by a vote of all 140 residents of the Katahira district, from 60 to 70 candidates. In December that year it was certified as a Yamato vegetable.

Named by a residents' vote, spring 2006
All 140 residents of Katahira voted
Yamato vegetable, December 2006

02 ／ Jomon site

Early Jomon pressed-pattern potteryis the reference material for “Oko type”.

Oko Site is an Early Jomon site of about 8,000 years ago on a river terrace of the Nabari River, where pit-dwelling remains, hearths of piled stones and burnt-earth pits have been confirmed. The village says the pottery is mainly pressed-pattern ware and serves as the reference material for the “Oko type”. It is a prefectural historic site, and the site is now a park.

Early Jomon, about 8,000 years ago
Reference material for “Oko type”
Prefectural historic site, 9 March 1990

03 ／ Rock valley

Black rocks line the whole valley,and water flows beneath them.

On the flank of Mt. Konoyama, large and small black rocks run an average of 25 m wide and about 650 m long, forming a view like a lava flow, according to the Yamazoe Tourism Association. A folktale on the village's website says water flows beneath the rocks that fill the valley, so the sound of it can be heard but no water is seen.

Average width 25 m
Length about 650 m
Groundwater flows beneath the rocks

Living here

From Meitetsu Bus Center, 94 minutes by highway bus.

about 3,000 people
2 hours to a city centre
Rural district town

There is no railway station in the village; it is 94 minutes by highway bus (reservation required) from Meitetsu Bus Center to the Yamato-kogen Yamazoe stop (services without a specific-days note; timetable of October 2026). Meitetsu Bus notes that travel time varies with traffic jams and holiday seasons. The village describes itself as part of the Yamato Plateau, with about 80% of its area forested.

People living here: 3,226people
Area: 66.52km²
Households: 1,110households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 5 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —0 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.

Yamazoe Village in Japan34.681°N 136.043°E

to NagoyaHighway bus94min

Travel times follow ①奈良交通『夜行高速バスやまと号奈良・五條ー東京（新宿）線』（https://www.narakotsu.co.jp/express/yamato/ ・2026-10-14 取得。お知らせ『夜行高速バス五條新宿線の一部停留所と運行時刻の変更について―2026年7月21日（火）出発便より―』〈2026-06-12〉のあとの時刻）の時刻表：新宿（東京）→五條は『バスタ新宿4F（新宿南口）発 23:15』『大和高原山添着 5:42』、五條（奈良）→新宿は『大和高原山添発 23:38』『バスタ新宿（新宿南口）着 6:15』。②奈良交通『昼行高速バス名古屋線』（https://www.narakotsu.co.jp/express/nagoya/ ・2026-10-14 取得）と名鉄バス『名古屋⇔奈良』（https://www.meitetsu-bus.co.jp/express/nara ・2026-10-14 取得）の時刻表：名古屋→奈良は『名鉄バスセンター発 7:40／11:20／14:50／19:30』『大和高原山添着 9:14／12:54／16:24／21:04』、奈良→名古屋は『大和高原山添発 7:48／12:48／15:48／20:08』『名鉄バスセンター着 9:25／14:25／17:25／21:45』（JR奈良駅発 6:50／11:50／14:50／19:10 の4便。奈良交通と名鉄バスの共同運行）。 (checked 2026-10-14). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Yamazoe Village

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

9.3km

Nara Prefecture: 奈良市, 宇陀市
Mie Prefecture: 名張市, 伊賀市

Yamazoe Village isthis kind of town.

01Choju-iwa is a huge rock on the grounds of Yamazoe Furusato Center (Fureai Hall); the tourism association says it is an estimated 600 t, unearthed in site work in 1995 (Heisei 7), and is thought to be granite formed from magma deep underground about 100 million years ago
02Katahira akane is a turnip long grown in Katahira, Yamazoe, and one of the Yamato vegetables; Oko Site is an Early Jomon prefectural historic site; Nabekurakei is a valley of black rocks on the flank of Mt. Konoyama
03Kehara Haiji Temple Ruins is a national historic site that the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes as the remains of a temple of the first half of the Nara period; the main shrine of Kasuga Shrine is prefecturally designated, and the tourism association says a Noh performance is offered every year on a Monkey day in December; the former Kasuga Elementary School auditorium (built 1903) is prefecturally designated and used as the historical and folk museum

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Yamazoe Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗