Authentic Experiences

If you wish, the owners can share with you

what it’s like to live in the central mountains of Japan.

A place they chose as their home

after experiencing life in New York, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Phoenix, and Nagoya.

You are welcome to join

local gatherings and seasonal festivities,

helping neighbors farm and harvest,

splitting wood, re-screening paper sliding doors,

cooking seasonal dishes with local produce,

making miso, and much more.

If you have children,

the owner can ask local children

to show your family around their favorite parts of the village

and you may even be permitted to visit the local school.

Contact us and we can suggest activities based on the dates of your stay.

(Almost everything here is done when it is the season.)

Many activities require prior arrangements.

A small fee will be charged for village activities.

A part of this amount will be set aside to support efforts to conserve/maintain local forests.

UPDATE - Due to the current COVID-19 situation, these activities may not be available. If interested, please enquire.

Play

Visit historical post towns on the Nakasendo, hike the Nakasendo Trail like people used to do hundreds of years ago, hike in Yuumori Reserve amongst 15,000 Japanese maple trees, kayak in Hananoko Lake*, picnic, go for a dip in the crystal clear river, go for a sunrise hike up the mountain to Naegi Castle ruins, ice skate with local kids at a natural ice skating rink, play tennis, rail-mountain bike Gattan-Go*, bicycle tour in Hida Furukawa*, etc etc.

* Provided by other parties.

Learn

Cooking lessons, meditation with a Buddhist monk at a local Zen temple, kimono and geisha make-up experience by a former Kyoto maiko(geisha), learn how to whisk green tea, take private lymphatic drainage yoga lessons on the terrace, try Japanese calligraphy, rice planting/harvesting, re-screening paper sliding doors, making miso, plum wine, houba-sushi, or gohei-mochi with local ladies and much more.

Relax

Sit on the balcony and listen to the symphony of birds and frogs sipping sake, go for a stroll in the Yumori Reserve or along the river, enjoy cherry blossom/firefly/moon viewing or stargazing, go in thermal hot springs, pick up some mochi in the local sweets shop and make yourself some green tea using beautiful artisan pottery, or meditate in the tatami room surrounded by fusuma and shoji paper sliding doors listening to the distant sounds of nature.

A variety of Japanese art books and books in English are provided in the library.

Experience the Culture

Experience the Seasons