Scenes from Kiyokawa Village, One of Japan’s Top 100 Water Towns

I visited Kiyokawa Village, the only village in Kanagawa Prefecture, for the first time. With a population of about 2,900, it appears to be the least populous municipality in the prefecture. Rich in natural beauty, the entire village is designated as part of the Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park and the Kanagawa Prefectural Tanzawa-Oyama Natural Park, and it is also listed as one of the “100 Selected Water Towns.” It’s a truly beautiful place. I even came across a family of monkeys (Japanese macaques?), but it seems they often cause damage to crops, so the villagers seem to view them as a nuisance. My impression was of a rural area with exceptionally beautiful water and greenery. I’d like to visit again during the fall foliage season.

Qingchuan Village