Soni Village, Uda County, Nara Prefecture, is a member of the Association of Japan's Most Beautiful Villages in the North. The village has one prefectural road, which is an important means of transportation. It was formed in 1889 through the merger of eight villages. Summers are relatively cool and comfortable, and winters are very cold, though snowfall is rare. The Japanese white-eye is the village's official bird, and pictures of white-eyes are painted on bridges over the town, delighting passersby. A highlight is the pampas grass of the Soni Plateau, which begins blooming in mid-September. Covering a vast 40-hectare area, the pampas grass meadows shine golden in the setting sun.