Fukuya Old House
The listed price is based on a 2 people occupancy.
When making a reservation, you are booking the entire house, not just a room.
___________________________
Fukuya is located in the easternmost part of the Okayama prefecture, in a village of Mimasaka city called Higashi-Awakura.
Situated at the foot of mount Ushiro, the highest peak of the prefecture, Mimasaka offers peaceful and serene landscapes, such as majestic views of Mount Ushiro, starry sky sceneries, clear water streams… If you want to spend some time in a relaxing environment, listen to the chirping of birds and the lapping of the river, and feel the breeze on your skin, Fukuya is the right place for you!
There are plenty of activities to do in the area (such as fishing) and experiences to have.
●About Fukuya
When making a reservation, you reserve the entire house.
・3 Japanese-style rooms (one 14.6m² room and two 11m² rooms)
・Living room (equipped with a horigotatsu, a low table with a heat source underneath)
・Kitchenette
・Toilets (1 Japanese-style and 1 Western-style) and bathroom
・Kitchen essentials (you can use cups, plates etc. but it’s not possible to cook)
・Futon and sheets are provided, but we kindly ask you to make your bed yourself
・Amenities such as towels and pajamas are not provided, so please bring your own toiletries
・Smoking is not allowed indoors
・Since it’s a vacation rental house, there are objects, appliances etc. in the house that belong to the owner
・Restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets (open until 7pm) are a 15 minute car-ride away, in Ohara (Mimasaka city) and Chikusa (Shiso city)
●Room amenities & equipment
・Body soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer, liquid soap
・TV, kettle, fridge, microwave, washing machine, wood deck
●Details
□High season rate
Extra ¥500 charge on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and summer holidays.
Extra ¥1,000 charge during the Golden Week, Saturdays during the summer holiday period, Obon holidays and New Year’s holidays.
□Meals
Thank you to pay for meals on your arrival.
For dinner, you can choose between the set meal and a barbecue (¥2,500).
On the morning we will prepare a simple breakfast (¥500).
□Bathtub
You can use the bathtub freely during your stay.
There are also several bathing facilities (Ai no Mura Park, Musashi no Sato, Ogonsen, Egaya Chikusa etc) about a 15-minute car-ride away.
□Child price
Babies: free of charge if no extra futon needed. ¥500 if extra futon needed.
Young children: ¥1,500 room only / ¥4,000 room + breakfast / ¥4,500 room + 2 meals
Elementary school age children: ¥2,500 room only /¥5,000 room + breakfast / ¥5,500 room + 2 meals
(※Total price calculated based on the adult price. Contact us for details.)
□Pick-up service: unavailable
□Parking: free parking available, reservation is required.
●Activities & experiences
*In the case of fee-based activities, payment takes place on the spot.
・Fishing: from April to November
・Season of new leaves and blossoms: from late April to mid May
・Fish catching: from May to October
・Fireflies: mid to late June
・Somen nagashi (flowing noodles): from July to September
・Autumn leaves: from early to late November
___________________________
・Barbecue, outdoor cooking
Aren’t outdoors meals just more fun? We can cook freshly harvested vegetables and fish, and even
organise a barbecue for dinner!
Dutch ovens, barbecue grills etc are available for rental.
___________________________
・Mountain climbing, hiking
Trekking lovers will enjoy climbing the Chugoku mountains, Mount Ushiro or Mount Hinakura (over 1,000m high).
We can recommend you some hiking trails that lead to headwaters and guide you along the way.
Climbing Mount Ushiro takes approximately 4 hours, and climbing Mount Hinakura takes about 2 hours. Count about 1 hour for a “headwater hike”.
Guided hike: ¥2,000/hour. Available from April to November.
___________________________
・Farm work experience (millet cultivation and threshing experience)
Millet has been attracting a lot of attention recently, because of its high nutritional value. It can even be found in the name of our vilalge, Higashi-awakura, as “awa” means “millet” in Japanese.
Try your hands at millet cultivation and learn how to plant seeds, harvest and use a fanning mill or threshing machine.
Details:
-Experience millet cultivation from early June to mid September (¥1,000)
-Experience millet threshing in October (¥5,000)
___________________________
・Empty your mind
Take the opportunity to be in a relaxing environment to allow yourself to forget all your worries and empty your mind. Take long walks in the nature, gaze at the blue sky, sip a tea on the wood deck... You can count on us to recommend you some great places and activities if you need.
___________________________
・Star gazing
Watch the night sky from our wood deck or from the viewing platform of the Bell Peel Natural Park.
You’ll probably be amazed by the view of so many stars. If you’re lucky you might even see a meteor shower!
___________________________
・Sunset watching
Watching the sun set at the end of a day is very soothing. Watch it disappear slowly behind the mountains, below the horizon.
◆About our village
Higashi-awakura is a small village of 1,200 inhabitants, located in Okayama prefecture. It’s also called “the village of love”, because the inhabitants are very proud and loving of their region.
Mount Ushiro is considered a Holy Mountain. As a matter of fact, there’s a particular temple in Mount Ushiro (called Oku no In) where women are not admitted, even now. This temple is one of the 2 only places in Japan where women are not allowed.
Bell Peel Natural Park boasts the largest bells in all Japan; their sound is lovely.
We’re also proud of Yoshii river’s clear waters.
In a word, Higashi-awakura is a place you’re always happy to go back to.
・Mount Ushiro:
Okayama’s highest peak, 1,344m high.
Mount Ushiro was a place of training for Shugendō practitioners. It offers beautiful sceneries, especially of autumn leaves.
・Oku no In (Pilgrims’ main temple):
Located at the 8th station of Mount Ushiro, it’s a place of pilgrimage for Shugendo practitioners, and one of the 2 places in Japan where only men are allowed to enter.
A memorial service takes place every year on September 7th and 8th.
・Mount Hinakura:
Mount Hinakura is a great spot for trekking. The splendid meadow landscapes and autumn sceneries Mount Hinakura offers even have been designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as cultural assets. In spring, we celebrate the Yamayaki (Mountain Burning) Festival, during which we set the grass on the hillside of Mount Hinakura on fire.
・Bell Peel Natural Park
The bells of Bell Peel Natural Park are the largest of Japan and the symbol of our village.
The view of Higashi-awakura from the viewing platform is simply superb.
・Ai no Mura Park
Ai No mura Park is a theme park situated in the center of the village with hot springs, restaurants, playgrounds and other facilities.
・Nichinokura Farm
Here you can enjoy catch-and-release fishing and the clear, transparent water of the river. Playing by the river is a popular activity around here!
◆Events
・Memorial service on Mount Ushiro (September 7th and 8th)
・Firework Festival, during the Mimasaka Furusato Festival
◆Access
□Coming by car
Take the Tottori expressway and get off at Ohara IC, then drive for about 15 minutes.
You can also stop by when travelling to the Kansai area!
・When driving in direction of Osaka: about 1h30
Chugoku expressway → Suita IC (interchange) → Sayo JCT (junction) → Tottori expressway → Ohara IC
・When driving in direction of Okayama: about 2h
Via Prefectural Road 27, National Road 484 and National Road 429
・When driving in direction of Himeji: about 1h30
Via National Road 179
・When driving in direction of Tottori: about 1h
Via Nishi-awakura IC on the Tottori expressway
□Coming by public transport
Ohara station (大原駅), on the Chizukyuko line (also called Chizu Express line). From Ohara station, you can take a taxi or rent a car to reach the accommodation.