Kyoto Tamba fringe · MizuoNo.022★Open in map →
Mizuo
— Kyoto's yuzu village above the Hozu gorge
A small mountain hamlet in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, long known as 'the yuzu village.' It is reached by a village-run bus from Hozukyo, a station set in a river gorge about 4 km below.
Mizuo sits on wooded slopes above the Hozu gorge, roughly 4 km up the mountain from JR Hozukyo station. The village has long been known for yuzu, a fragrant Japanese citrus: around December, boxes of harvested fruit overflow on the porches of the houses. By reservation, some private homes offer a yuzu bath — a hot bath with whole yuzu floating in it — together with a chicken hot pot called tori-suki, made with local chicken and homegrown vegetables. Because the road is steep, most visitors ride the small bus run by the village residents' association rather than walk the hour-long climb.
Why it stays quiet
There is little English information about Mizuo, the road up the mountain is steep and slow, and the village sits well off the main Kyoto sightseeing routes. The village bus that links it to the station runs only a few times a day, so most visitors never come this way.
Background & history
Mizuo has a deep connection with Emperor Seiwa, the 56th emperor of Japan, who lived from 850 to 880. By tradition he chose this area as his final resting place, and his imperial mausoleum stands partway up the mountainside. The custom of yuzu baths is said to have been favoured by him, and Mizuo is often described as one of Japan's oldest places for growing yuzu — though that origin survives as legend rather than firm historical record. Yuzu cultivation has been part of local life here for centuries, alongside forestry and rice farming.
What to look for — in walking order
- Emperor Seiwa's mausoleum
- the imperial tomb of the 56th emperor, on the mountainside above the village
- Yuzu on the eaves
- around December, boxes of harvested yuzu line the porches of the village houses
- Yuzu bath and hot pot
- by reservation, some homes serve a yuzu bath with a local chicken hot pot (tori-suki)
- The village bus from the gorge
- the residents' association bus that makes the 10-minute climb from Hozukyo station
How to enjoy it
Come in the colder months, when yuzu is in season and a bath is at its most enjoyable. Reserve a home well in advance — the village has no lodging and the meals are by reservation only. Plan your arrival around the village bus timetable, as the 4 km road is steep and walking up takes about an hour.
How to actually get there
- Kyoto Stn → Hozukyo Stn (JR Sagano line, local train, ~20 min).
- Hozukyo Stn → Mizuo village (village residents' bus, ~10 min, cash only).
- Reserve a home in advance for a yuzu bath or hot-pot meal (no lodging in the village).
- JR Sagano line + village bus
- Kyoto Stn →(JR Sagano line, local train, ~20 min)→ Hozukyo Stn →(Mizuo village bus, ~10 min uphill)→ Mizuo village. Total about 30-40 min. Rapid trains do not stop at Hozukyo, so take a local train. The village bus runs only about 5 times a day and does not run on Tuesdays or Fridays — check the day's timetable before you leave.
- Village bus down
- Take the same village bus back down to Hozukyo station, then a JR local train to Kyoto. The bus runs only a few times a day and the last runs are in the late afternoon, so check the day's return times at the stop when you arrive. Miss it and it is a long walk down the gorge road.
Before you go
- Cash
- The village bus is cash only (about 300 yen one way). Any home meal is also cash, so carry coins and small notes.
- Closing days
- A lived-in hamlet with no lodging. The yuzu-bath and hot-pot homes must be booked in advance.
- Another way
- On foot it is a steep climb of about 4 km, roughly one hour up from the station — wear sturdy shoes.
- After you get off
- From the platform at Hozukyo, the village bus meets set trains at the station. Check its posted timetable first.