The main gate of Ominesanji Temple on Mount Omine

Tenkawa (天川) is a village in Nara Prefecture in Japan, about 10 to 15 km south of Yoshino.

Understand

The village has an official Japanese-only guide site.

Get in

By car

Driving is one option. From Koriyama IC (郡山) of E25 (Nishi-Meihan Expressway) drive Route 24 and Route 169 southbound. At Shimoichiguchi crossing turn right onto Route 309 and drive until you get to Tenkawa.

By bus

There is a bus leaving from Kintetsu Shimoichiguchi Station (下市口), which is on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line. You can board an express train (急行) for Yoshino (吉野) at Osaka Abenobashi Station, the Kintetsu station adjacent to JR Tennoji. That train will take you to Shimoichiguchi, from where you can take a bus for about an hour until you reach Tenkawa Mura (天川村)

Get around

The information center (天川村総合案内所) is the first place you should drop in on when you reach Tenkawa. They offer guidebooks and information on this area.

See

• Cedar forests, some small mountain rivers, and a few caves.
• 1 Tenkawa Grand Benzaiten Shrine (天河大弁財天社). A Shinto shrine for arts and crafts. An annual festival is held on 16 through 17 July every year, where noh is performed on the stage. (updated Apr 2020)

• Ryusenji Temple (龍泉寺). A Shingon-sect temple with a water spring. (updated Apr 2020)

• 2 Mitarai Valley (みたらい渓谷). (updated Apr 2020)

• 3 Dorogawa Eco Museum Center (洞川エコミュージアムセンター). Introduces the natural resources of this area. Admission is free. Opens 10AM to 5PM. Closed on Wednesdays and winter months (December through March). Located at 784-32, Dorogawa, Tenkawa. (updated Apr 2020)

• Gallery Honobono (ギャラリーほのぼの). A library offering materials of folkways of this area. Exhibits an engine for US B29 bombers. Located at 674-1, Dorogawa, Tenkawa. (updated Apr 2020)

• 4 Mount Omine. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. (updated Apr 2020)

• 5 Sanjogatake Historical Museum (山上ヶ岳歴史博物館). Offers Buddha statues made of gold. Admission fee: ¥300. Located at 492-1, Dorogawa, Tenkawa. (updated Apr 2020)

Do

Dorokawa Onsen

Hiking, camping.

• Snow Park Dorogawa (スノーパーク洞川), 678-220, Dorogawa. Winter only. A ski resort. (updated Apr 2020)

• Dorogawa Spa (洞川温泉) is a spa area with many restaurants, guesthouses and souvenir shops.
• Amanogawa Spa (天の川温泉) offers hot springs as well.

Buy

Daranisuke (陀羅尼助) is a crude drug produced in this area and sold at local drugstores. It is good for gastroenteritis.

Eat

When in season, Japanese "mountain vegetables" are a popular and delicious choice. Some places offer fish caught in the mountain rivers, which are bony, but worth trying at least once. The two varieties often seen are iwana (岩魚, charr) and amago (あまご, red-spotted trout).

Go next

• Yoshino - cherry blossom central
• Gojo
• Kurotaki
• Kawakami
• Kamikitayama
• Totsukawa
• Nosegawa
• Shimoichi
• Higashiyoshino