Yoshino Town

Felling planned; now a Natural Monument.

Imoyama grove, Yoshino riverbank

Photo by Saigen Jiro (CC0)

01 ／ Jomon pottery

Many Jomon pots have incised linesand partial impressions of spiral shells.

The Miyataki site lies on a river terrace on the north bank of the Yoshino River and became a national Historic Site in 1957. Its designation reasons note that many Jomon pot types have incised lines and partial impressions of spiral shells. The 1,621 excavated items are a Nara Prefecture designated archaeological material (2012). The town is preparing the site as a historic park.

National Historic Site, 1957
Many types with spiral-shell impressions
1,621 items prefecturally designated, 2012

02 ／ Shrine buildings

The main hall is a nine-bay nagare-zukuri.Its central front bay is Kasuga-zukuri in form.

The main hall of Yoshino Mikumari Shrine, on Yoshinoyama, is dated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to Keicho 10 (1605), in the Momoyama period. It is two bays deep with a cypress-bark roof and chidori-hafu gables on both sides, and became an Important Cultural Property in 1901. The worship hall, built in kakezukuri (stilted) style, the offering hall and the tower gate are also Important Cultural Properties of Keicho 10. The town describes it as rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori.

Main hall of Keicho 10 (1605)
Important Cultural Property, 1901
Nine bays by two, cypress-bark roof

03 ／ Ritual

On the 14th of the lunar first month,twelve elders walk the steep approach to the dance hall.

Kuzuso is a ritual held every year on the 14th of the lunar first month at Kiyomihara Shrine in southern Kuzu. Two dancing elders, four flautists, one drummer and five singers proceed to the dance hall. The offerings are chestnuts, sweet sake, ugui fish, nezeri (water dropwort) and red frogs, which a prefectural bulletin says are prepared locally. It has been a prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property since 1978.

14th of the lunar first month
Two dancers, four flautists, one drummer, five singers
Prefectural designation, 1978

Living here

From Osaka Abenobashi, 76 minutes by limited express.

about 6,000 people
90 min to a city centre
Rural district town

Yoshino Station, the terminus of the Kintetsu Yoshino Line, is 76 minutes by limited express from Osaka Abenobashi (the fastest daily service). The town says about 1 hour 15 minutes. The Yoshino River runs through the middle of the town from east to west, and the town office is in Kamiichi.

People living here: 6,229people
Area: 95.65km²
Households: 2,659households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 5 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.

Yoshino Town in Japan34.396°N 135.858°E

to OsakaKintetsu limited express76min

Travel times follow 近畿日本鉄道『駅の時刻表』（eki.kintetsu.co.jp。ページに「2026/3/14現在」）の大阪阿部野橋駅〈南大阪線・吉野方面。slCode=349-0〉と吉野駅〈吉野線・大阪阿部野橋方面。slCode=373-15〉の発車時刻表〈平日・土休日〉と、吉野へ着く特急の停車駅発着表（T7）で、大阪阿部野橋『発』→吉野『着』を数えた。 (checked 2026-10-14). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 8 municipalities.

Territory of Yoshino Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

13.4km

宇陀市, 東吉野村, 下市町, 川上村, 大淀町, 黒滝村, 明日香村, 桜井市

Yoshino Town isthis kind of town.

01Imoyama grove, on the bank of the Yoshino River, is a nationally designated Natural Monument (designated 1928; the town is its managing body). The town notes that rare warm-climate plants such as tendai-uyaku are found there, and its chronology records that the Ministry of Finance planned to fell the hill in 1927 and that people who regretted this took action
02Miyataki is a national Historic Site that its designation reasons call a mountain site containing remains of every period. The main hall, worship hall, offering hall and tower gate of Yoshino Mikumari Shrine are Important Cultural Properties of Keicho 10 (1605). Yoshinoyama was designated a national Historic Site in 1924, and the buildings of Yoshino Jingu became Important Cultural Properties in 2022
03Kuzuso is a prefecturally designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In Yamaguchi stand a stone hokyoin pagoda bearing an inscription of Kenji 4 (1278), an Important Cultural Property, and the Ueda family house, whose main house and four other structures were registered in 2025

See the town as it is now.

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

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Yoshino Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗