Kitayama, Rural village in Higashimuro district, Japan.
Kitayama is a mountain village in Higashimuro district, Japan, spreading across forested slopes with a river running through the area. Nearly all the land consists of woodland, and only a few flat sections offer space for settlements and fields.
The settlement was established on April 1st, 1889, during the Meiji era when Japan reorganized its administrative units. Since then it has remained the only village in Wakayama Prefecture and continues to hold its status as an exclave.
Locals harvest timber from steep slopes using techniques passed down through centuries, shaping daily routines and community habits. Growing jabara citrus connects the settlement to Japanese folk medicine and remains part of household traditions.
The place sits on National Route 169, where bus connections run to surrounding towns. Steep paths and forest trails require sturdy footwear and good fitness, especially when hiking away from the main road.
The entire area sits surrounded by Mie and Nara prefectures and forms the only remaining village in Wakayama. The jabara fruit, a rare citrus, is grown here for medicinal purposes and cultivated almost nowhere else in the region.
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