The village of Kizuro 木津呂

Looks like a fairy tale village. Kizuro seems to curl up in the loop of the Kitayamagawa River, snugly bordered by its pebble beaches, forming a kind of peninsula all by itself. Hidden from view by the surrounding mountains, it is only visible to visitors from the top of the surrounding mountains. From up there, the idea is breathtaking, the landscape unique.

To read: The most beautiful villages in Japan

A view worth deserving

The view of Kizuro is worth it. To reach the top of the mountains (those on the Wakayama side offer the most beautiful views), you have to climb hiking trails in the middle of the forest, with rather dangerous passages, and the direction signs are only in Japanese. According to some, many people give up before reaching their goals. Therefore, the region's tourist office advises inquiring before undertaking the climb or going there with a guide.

See: Hiking in Japan

However, those who cannot make this challenging walk have the option of discovering the village by going around it by boat or canoeing on the Kitayamagawa River.

Feng Shui vs. reality

The village has been the subject of studies both for its geological particularity and for the layout of its habitat, which has adapted to the particular shape of the place, following the curves of the river. Once prosperous and populated, it is increasingly deserted by its young inhabitants, and the elderly are the majority. The houses are empty (half of them are said to be uninhabited), the primary school has long since closed, and yet Kizuro is considered a sacred place according to Feng Shui criteria. Indeed, the village is located just where the feet of the mountains fall into a valley; this phenomenon called "dragon hole" (the hills being considered dragons in the art of Feng Shui) is supposed to concentrate intense positive energy. A river's presence adds to the place's " owers. "

However, the difficult access to the village, and its isolation, have scared away the new generations. Nature has regained its rights, and many cultivated fields are now invaded by lush vegetation; the forest is advancing, and this place "full of positive energy" does not seem to bring the necessary energy to the villagers so that they want to stay there.

Read our travel guide to Mie Prefecture