Green Tourism Instructor's 100 y.o Farm House

■Type: Farmers Inn

■Activities: Farming experiences including planting shiitake, harvesting, making soba noodles as well as handcrafts, charcoal grilling, and country style cooking (mamebu hotpot, and so on). Also tours of the filming locations of Ama-chan, a popular TV series.

■Nearest station or bus stop: Kuji Station on the JR Hachinohe Line

■Pick up service: Possible

■Amenities:
Guests are asked to bring their own towels and pyjamas, toothpaste and toothbrush.
Enquiries and reservations received on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and the day before public holidays will be answered on or after the following working day. Please enquire if you have any questions or requests.
The Meiji no Yakata was built around the year Meiji 40 (that is, 1907), making it over a hundred years old. This traditional farmhouse is an inn registered to offer farming, forestry and fishing experiences. It is a very picturesque place, with an open hearth where you can grill tofu-dengaku and river fish as you relax and make time for conversation.
The beauty of the traditional Japanese culture is slowly disappearing, but we want to preserve it and pass it on to others. With that in mind, we decided to open a Farmers Inn some 30 years ago. To remind you, I am Demachi Takeo, head of the Iwate Kuji Farming and Fishing Villages Inn Workshop. I was born and brought up in Yamagata, and I know about charcoal grilling, shiitake cultivation, as well as everything that has to do with the surrounding mountains. I am qualified as a Green Tourism Instructor. I called our hundred year old home the Meiji no Yakata, and am as happy as can be, having very many close friends. At our inn more than anywhere, you can enjoy collecting wild mountain vegetables in spring, and mushroom hunting in the fall. Let’s enjoy talking about the beauties of Yamagata and the various experiences you can have throughout the four seasons. The house has an open hearth, we heat the bath with firewood, and there’s even a sauna too! Our evening time specialty is our Northern nigori sake (Kita no Doburoku), purchased through a special route. Come try it!
You can experience the Japanese lifestyle as it used to be in the old times, and customers both domestic and from overseas rate us highly. If you're interested in the Ama-chan filming locations tour and the sightseeing tour around Kuji, don't hesitate to bring your friends along! The more the merrier.

●Activities: Please contact us
・Farming experiences Planting and harvesting shiitake
・Making soba noodles
・Handcrafts (folk art)
・Charcoal grilling
・Countryside cooking (such as mamebu hotpot)

●Reviews from customers
※posted with authors' permission

September 21-23, 2013 - Woman from Yokohama
"I was looking at the Internet and when I saw the word ‘hearth’ I decided to come here. Since they have no website and there were no photos, I was a bit worried about what it would be like. But I was agreeably surprised when I arrived. What a lovely house, and what delicious food – mushroom rice and hittsumi (a kind of regional vegetable broth), charcoal grilled fish and rice cakes, all very tasty. Back in Yokohama, I lead a busy life, but here I was delighted to be able to take my time over a leisurely breakfast. I’d like to live like this. I also enjoyed harvesting myoga ginger, bell peppers, bitter gourds, and vegetables. Thank you for a lovely 3 days. I’ll sure I’ll be back (^o^)

September 21-23, 2013 - Woman from Yokohama
I first visited Iwate as a tourist, to see the filming locations of Ama-chan. I was a bit uncertain what it would be like, because there were no photos of the inn. But I never expected it to be as pretty as this! There are many things here that I simply can’t have in Tokyo: the atmosphere, the pace, the open hearth, the delicious vegetables, and Demachi-san’s fantastic conversation. You can’t have a better time than this. Next time I want to come for a longer time and have farming experiences. I’m gonna let people know about this hundred year old house and the loveliness of the countryside! Thank you so much.