was a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in Kitakuwada District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The town was the second largest among the towns and villages in the Kyoto Prefecture. The town was entirely on the Tamba plateau. The town, being surrounded by mountains, had an inland climate with cool summers, cold winters, and a huge amount of

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

. As 90% of the area was covered in forest, forestry has been a key industry in Keihoku. The construction of

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...

, capital of Imperial Japan from 794 to 1868, relied hugely on the timber imports from Keihoku. Local villagers and lumberjacks used to deliver the timber to

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

through

Katsura River The is a continuation of two other rivers, the Hozu River, a small, speedy river which begins in the mountains near Kameoka and then slithers through the mountains separating Kameoka and Kyoto; and the Ōi River (大堰川 ''Ōi-gawa''), which ...

during the ancient times. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 6,362 and a density of 29.23 persons per km². The total area was 217.68 km². It was said that more artisans are moving to Keihoku in pursue of better quality of life. On April 1, 2005, Keihoku was merged into the expanded city of

, specifically at Ukyo Ward, and thus is no longer an independent

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Tourism and transportation

ROOTS Journey, a Keihoku-based company is established to promote

sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for economic, social and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs of host communities. Su ...

within the region. Other than its rich historic background and forestry industry, the region is notable for its "satoyama" lifestyle, traditional thatched roof houses and natural landscapes.

Public transportation

* West JR Bus Ser　Kyotsuru Line ( Kyoto Station - Nijo Station -Kaohsiung-Tsumenoo- Zhouyama) * Miyama-Keihoku Bus Miyama-Keihoku Direct Bus Service
/ref> *Local Furusato bus

National highways

Japan National Route 162 National Route 162 is a National highways of Japan, national highway of Japan connecting Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto and Tsuruga, Fukui in Japan, with a total length of 148 km (91.96 mi). History Route 162 was designated on 18 May 1953 from Ky ...

(Zhoushan Highway) *

Japan National Route 477 National Route 477 is a national highway of Japan. The highway connects Yokkaichi, Mie and Ikeda, Osaka. It has a total length of . Route description A section of the Biwako bridge that carries National Route 477 over Lake Biwa is a musical roa ...

Take JR bus of Takao/Keihoku Line from Kyoto station (terminal No.3) via Omiya, Nijo and Enmachi station. Shuzan terminal is a final stop and it takes around 1 hour 30 mins from Kyoto station. Transport fare costs 1200 yen, or you can use Japan Rail Pass.

Attractions

* Josho Emperor Temple * Shuzan Castle ruins * Fukutokuji Temple * Yamakuni Shrine * Zhoushan Abandoned Temple

References

Dissolved municipalities of Kyoto Prefecture {{Kyoto-geo-stub