Visit Northern Kansai
Visit the Bridge to Heaven, Kinosaki Onsen and more...
At this spot, together with the nearby Gunze Memorial Hall (former head office of Gunze,) buildings that are designated as Heritage of Industrial Modernization convey the history and culture of the region, which prospered as a town of sericulture and silk reeling.
In “Ayabe Rose Garden” you can find 1,200 bushes with 120 types of roses. The “Rose Festival” is held during the rose season, for about a month from late may, and for about a month from mid-October. Don’t miss “Anne’s Rose”, cultivated from a seedling received from Anne Frank’s father.
“Gunze Museum” is housed in four re-purposed cocoon warehouses built in the 1910s, Gunze Museum features exhibits highlighting Gunze’s technological advancements and more.
Inside “Ayabe Tokusankan” you will find local specialties such as produce, rice, sake, snacks, Japanese tea, and craftwork available for purchase. Also available are accessories crafted from handmade washi paper (Kurotani washi). Pour yourself a cup of Gyokuro or other Japanese tea at the cafe, and enjoy.
Former head office of Gunze.
Oomoto-no-Shin-en is the sacred grounds of a folk religion that strived to realize world peace. With rows of numerous invaluable buildings, such as the “Miroku-den”, a shrine that is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, “Chosei-den”, one of the largest wooden structures of the 20th century, and “Konohana-an”, an Important Cultural Property of Japan, Oomoto-no-Shin-en is a spiritual power spot.
Kurotani washi is famous as washi paper made using a traditional hand-crafting technique that has been passed down for 800 years. Not only is the washi paper so strong, it’s untearable by hand, it is also said to last a thousand years.
The valley of Yura River, which runs north to south through “Kyoto by the sea”, is known among connoisseurs as “a renowned producer of Japanese tea”. The extremely high-quality tea produced here is a consecutive winner at National Tea Fairs.
You can get to Ayabe Gunze Square by taking the JR train to JR Ayabe Station. From JR Ayabe station it is about a 10 minute walk.
