This page contains affiliate links. If you click on those links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I truly believe in or personally use.
Thank you for supporting Japan Paths!
Ohara is a village on the foot of the Kitayama mountains north of Kyoto. It is the perfect destination after a few days of exhausting sightseeing in Kyoto city. The Kyoto locals like Ohara and its mountains as an oasis of tranquility and rest, especially in Summer due to its cooler temperatures. The deep forest covering the mountains surrounding the village make you feel like you are in the Totoro movie of Studio Ghibli.
Side note: The official Totoro Forest inspired by the Sayama Hills is located in the Saitama prefecture, but the Kitayama mountains in Ohara look similar to the forest of the movie and have the same mythical atmosphere.
Ohara village sights – Jakkō-in Temple
The first sight that you should visit in Ohara is the Jakkō-in Temple. It really is a pearl of the Ohara village. It is a quiet, beautiful place with nice Japanese gardens and a museum. All embedded in the idyllic nature surrounding Ohara.
I think most of the tourists barely know about the Jakkō-in even though it is really famous to locals. The temple was built in the 7th century by a son of the emperor. Also an emperor’s wife used to live there as it used to be a monastery. When we visited it there was only one other family there. Afterwards we went to this place here: Ohara Sanso Footbath Cafe.
Ohara village sights – Sanzen-in Temple
When you visit Ohara, then you should also visit the famous Sanzen-in Temple. The area around the temple really has quite a lot to offer. There are multiple temples where you can go into. Also with rooms with tatami mattresses where you can sit and enjoy the beautiful Japanese gardens. They also have a stamp hunt for kids spread across multiple of the temple buildings. Even though I think most of the tourists visiting Kyoto, don’t know about Ohara and its sights, this temple seems to be quite known by Chinese tourists. It is pushed a lot by the Chinese TikTok pendant.
Accomodations in Ohara
Our recommendation when you want some rest and experience some Japanese nature when you are visiting Kyoto, then you should stay a couple of days in Ohara. From there you can also visit other nice places in the mountains (see my posts on Kurama, Kifune Village or Hiei-san) or do a trip to the Biwa Lake and spend a day there. Most of the accommodations have an Onsen where you can relax after a day trip. There are the Ohara no Sato Onsen and the Yumoto Onsen. However, the best accommodation is this Ryokan in the middle of Ohara with an extraordinary 4.7/5 rating on klook.com – the Ryoso Chatani which I can recommend from personal experience and I wouldn’t want to book a trip to the Kyoto region without staying there for a couple of days to relax from the hustle and bustle of sightseeing in the cities.
The Ryoso Chatani
The Ryoso Chatani includes traditional Japanese breakfast and offers traditional Japanese dinner. You also get a new Yakata every day to wear for the onsen and afterwards at dinner. The women choose their Yakata from a broad selection, for the men the Yakata is just swapped out during room cleaning😊 Unfortunately, they do not have Yakatas for kids. That is one reason to buy one (maybe in Kyoto) for your kids as souvenir and bring it with you😊 Sitting together on pillows wearing a Yakata in the Ryoso Chatani dining room is really an unforgettable experience.
Why the Ryoso Chatani reminded me of Studio Ghibli, because they often played “A Town with an Ocean View” of the movie “Kiki’s Delivery Service” as silent background music in the bathroom.
Arigato gozaimasu for reading.
© 2025 Reuter Services. All images on this website are protected by copyright. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is prohibited without my prior written permission.
Original photo from blog post title
