Living in Kizu

A riverside neighborhood at the southern tip of Kyoto Prefecture, about 40 minutes to Kyoto Station by rapid train. It is a border area close to Nara as well, so you can use both directions, and rents are low, making it easy to find a spacious home.

A riverside neighborhood on the Kizu River at the southern tip of Kyoto Prefecture, about 40 minutes to Kyoto Station by Miyakoji Rapid on the JR Nara Line. It is so steeped in history that in 740, in the Nara period, Emperor Shomu placed the capital (Kuni-kyo) here (in Kamo Town) for about three years, and as a port that carried timber for building Heijo-kyo in Nara, it got the place name 'Kizu' (tree ferry). However, by the standard of the central Kyoto area it is on the outskirts, so travel time increases further at times when the rapid train does not stop, and the scale of its entertainment area is small. You can also reach Osaka (Kyobashi) on the Gakkentoshi Line, so it suits single-person households and families who are weighing a commute to either Kyoto or Osaka and want a quiet riverside environment.