150y/o Nostalgic Farm House w/ Japanese Hearth

Check out this 150 year old house, which we have transformed into a nostalgic-feeling, classic Farmer's inn. With warm hospitality and the experience of being re-connected to nature, come and stay and experience something unlike anything you have before!

# KEY FEATURES

① Rustic farmhouse experience to reconnect with nature and slow life
② Eat around old-style Japanese hearth for unique Japanese cultural experience
③ Warm hospitality and great stories from your gracious hosts

# THE SPACE

We live in a mountain village near Ichinoseki, in Iwate prefecture, Tohoku. After retiring from an architectural design company, I came back to the place I was born to run this farm. After 40 years away, coming home and seeing the mountains of my birthplace, I remembered the vibrant days of the past, with the leaf tobacco and silkworms. And yet, there are noticeably fewer young people here, and this mountain village is now quieter.

I thought, "We have to do something about that.." I love the outdoors and people from different countries, so I rented some land nearby and started a farm raising "wagyu", Japanese cattle. Then I thought I could make it feel like a ranch, and have guests from the cities come and stay. (We no longer raise cattle, but there are a few traces of a former ranching operation). When you get up in the mornings, it feels good to fill your lungs amid the morning dew, don’t you think?

Our home consists of a few new buildings and a traditional house built around 150 years ago. I refurnished the old house and turned it into a Farmer's Inn. It was my wife’s idea, the lovely Sachiko. When you hear the words "mountain village" you might imagine somewhere that is far away from civilization. But don't worry. There’s a convenience store nearby. Rest assured, in our area we have a cultural centre and a general hospital, so we are still within the bounds of civilization.

Nearby, there is also a mountain hotel, a tourist farm and a leading motocross circuit, where major competitions are often held. These races are amazing events where you can meet all kinds of people from famous competitors to kids who love to watch the races.

There is also the site of the Okago Roman Catholic martyrs not far away. At the beginning of the Edo period, this village was a producer of iron-sand, and had a Christian community. The mountains are filled with caves where the Christians were worshipping their God and sites connected to the martyrs. The area also has the Martyrs’ Park, with a museum about the Christians in hiding. In the Kurusu Museum, there are life-sized statues of Jesus Christ made by the eminent sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, many pilgrims came here to visit. Even today, there is no Buddhist temple in the village, only a single Catholic church. In recent years, Christmas has been celebrated there in grand style. It's an unusual village; we'd be happy to show you around any time.

The surrounding nature here is breathtaking in its beauty and the stillness of nature will lift your spirits once again. Although we are located in the country side, we still have all the comforts of city life, including a hot shower and bath tub which are perfect after eating a nice home-cooked Japanese meal.

Our home also features a wonderful old-fashioned Japanese hearth. Warm up by the fire and enjoy a meal while talking with us, your hosts, and learning more about what it is like to live on a country farm.

# MEALS

Right, then… The meals we offer are almost all specialities from the local countryside, and our favorite specialty is the local dish known as "hatto". This is also known as "suiton" or "totte-nage". The flour is kneaded and then flattened out and cut into strips, and boiled in a pot. Various vegetables and meat are added, and the result is truly delicious. Guests from the city often ask for a second helping. But, don’t worry, we can cook other tasty dishes too.

※ If you would like to order dinner and breakfast, please inform us by message when booking. The price for dinner is 2,200 yen (per person, incl. tax) and breakfast 1,100 yen (per person, incl. tax). We kindly ask you to pay in Japanese yen in cash at check-in.

# FACILITIES

When my wife Sachiko was young, she used to stroll through the streets of Ocha-no-mizu and Kanda, in downtown Tokyo, in her dress and long coat. And yet… now she is just a countryside granny. Anyway, one thing we are especially proud of is how clean we keep our place.

The kitchen is ultra clean, the baths are modern ‘unit baths’, and our toilets is one of those high-tech gadgets that Japan is famous for. This is the one thing we have in common with the city. In addition to having internet TV. There's also a washing machine, and guests are able to cook for themselves if they choose.

# COMMENTS FROM RECENT GUESTS:

"I was healed by the warm, welcoming environment and the kindness of our hosts.
The sights and sounds and wonderful atmosphere of the 150 year old house were very enriching. The meal was also very delicious. I experienced something completely different from my usual life."

"It was my first time to stay at a farm house like this with people from around the world. It was a very great experience. The house is clean clean, comfortable, good, everything is moderate without excess or deficiency. The host took great care of us and their stories were also interesting."

# OTHER THINGS TO NOTE

Pajamas are a nice thing to bring for walking around the house. Also we encourage guests to bring their own toiletries (tooth brush, toothpaste, etc.)

# NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

More information
· Iwate Safari Park
· "Hana to Izumi" Park
· Tate Mori Arak Ranch
· Fujisawa Sports Land
· Tamagamori Kogen Hotel (about 20 min by car)

# GETTING AROUND

−About 20 minutes by car from JR Senmaya Station