The charm of staying in an old-style house where "country living" and "travel" come together

[Hokkaido] Experience the handicrafts of pioneers and the original landscape of Ishikari mountain village at "Solii"

It's about an hour's drive north from New Chitose Airport. After passing through the modern cityscapes and residential areas of central Sapporo and crossing the hills overlooking the vast plains, you'll arrive at a quiet farming village in a valley. This is the Takaoka Gonosawa area, the first area in Ishikari to successfully cultivate rice. An old house built in this area in 1910 (Meiji 43) that has been watching over the history of the development was reborn as a vacation house called "Solii" in 2019.

A distinctive feature of the building is that a large barn that also served as a horse stable leads to the main house. This arrangement is characteristic of traditional local farmhouse architecture. The main house has been renovated into a "yama" (a room with a veranda that allows you to enjoy the seasonal scenery), while the barn has been renovated into a "tani" (a room with a 6-meter high atrium that exudes an open feeling). Each building can be reserved exclusively, allowing you to fully enjoy the nature that abounds in the Satoyama with all five senses.

The rooms are equipped with kitchens and bathrooms just like a vacation home, and guests can cook their own meals, go to nearby restaurants, or order catering. The dishes made with local produce, including Ishikari nabe and salmon chanchanyaki, both of which have been selected as one of Japan's 100 best local dishes, are delicious and can only be found here.

Solii is unique in that it offers a wide variety of rural experience programs depending on the season. In winter, there are activities that can only be found in a snowy country, such as soba noodle making, stargazing, kimono dressing and rental, vegetable harvesting, cycling, playing in the snow with a sled, making potato mochi, snowshoe tours, snowmobile test drives, and making snow candles.

The name "Solii" is an abbreviation of the first letters of "Scene of living in Ishikari," which means "scenery of Ishikari life" in Japanese. It is imbued with the desire for guests to feel as if they are a resident of Ishikari and relax while spending their time here. Experience an old-fashioned house while experiencing the wisdom and handiwork left behind by pioneers 110 years ago, such as beams carved with an adze, lintels, and ribbed ceilings. Escape from your everyday life while experiencing the original scenery of a pioneer farm in Hokkaido.

Solii

[Oita] Yufuin Hoteiya: Enjoy beauty-enhancing hot springs and Kyoto-style cuisine at the foot of a famous mountain

Yufuin Hoteiya is a lodging facility that feels like a village, located at the foot of the famous mountain, Mt. Yufu, also known as Bungo Fuji. The facility is lined with old-fashioned thatched roof houses and relocated old folk houses, each of which serves as an independent guest room.

Among the many detached buildings, the newly built "Kaze no Tou" is particularly sophisticated in design. There are also various other spaces scattered around the hotel, such as the "Main Building," which blends traditional Japanese style with modernity, and the "Hotei no Ma," which is marked by its high-altitude thatched roof.

Speaking of Yufuin, the hot springs known for their "beautifying skin baths" are a must-see. The facility offers a men's bath, "Daikoku no Yu," made of rocks and surrounded by nature, and a women's bath, "Benten no Yu," paved with smooth Amakusa whetstones. From each open-air bath, you can enjoy a view of Mount Yufu and a sense of unity with nature.

There is also an indoor bath "Hotei no Yu" that can be reserved for private use, a newly built open-air family bath, and guest rooms with open-air baths, so you can enjoy a private hot bath. There is also a relaxing area called "Rokkakudo" where you can look out at the garden after your bath, so you can truly relax.

The meals are prepared by a master of Japanese cuisine who has trained in Kyoto for over 30 years, with a theme of local production and consumption. Both breakfast and dinner are served in the newly built, open-plan dining area, "Yufusaryo." For dinner, you can enjoy a Kyoto-style kaiseki meal made with plenty of freshly caught seafood and mountain produce. The main meat dish is "Bungo beef hobayaki," made with Oita's famous brand of beef. The main fish dish is made with fresh fish delivered directly from the Bungo Channel, and is known for its freshness. Some of the vegetables are also grown on-site, and the menu is filled with the bounty of the seasons. For breakfast, a Japanese set meal served on a plate full of local ingredients is provided.

The concept of "Yufuin Hoteiya" is "Welcome home". Even if it is not your actual hometown, if you visit, you will feel like you are back home and your heart will be freed. Such a nostalgic, warm and emotional scene can be found here.

Yufuin Hoteiya

[Kumamoto] "Asono Yamaboshi" where you can enjoy Goemon baths and fine cuisine

Aso Daikanbo is a scenic spot located northeast of Uchimaki Onsen, one of Kumamoto's most famous hot springs. At the base of the mountain lies Aso Yamaboshi, a traditional country inn. All guest rooms are detached and there are only four rooms in two buildings on a spacious site of about 20,000 tsubo (approx. 20,000 m2), giving you an excellent sense of privacy. You can relax while listening to the murmuring of the Kochi River that flows nearby. During the season, fireflies fly around the site, and the site is filled with the colors of the seasons, including new greenery, autumn leaves, and accumulated snow.

The facility originally began operating as a restaurant, which means the food is guaranteed to be delicious. You can enjoy a variety of delicacies in a peaceful location. Meals are local charcoal-grilled dishes cooked in the open hearth of the main house. The main dish for dinner is local Aso Akagyu beef, which has a rich flavor and sweet fat, and is thick yet melt-in-your-mouth tender. You can also enjoy other delicacies that are made with homemade ingredients, such as dengaku, charcoal-grilled Amakusa Daio Jidori chicken, a local specialty, rice cooked in a pot, and dumpling soup.

Breakfast is served at the dining table by the hearth. The menu is handmade by the hostess, with about 10 different dishes each day. The colorful dishes, which use plenty of seasonal vegetables and wild plants, go perfectly with the hot rice cooked in-house. Coffee beans and a hand-mill are also provided in the guest rooms. Relax with a fragrant cup of coffee after your meal.

All rooms are equipped with a classic open-air Goemon bath and an elaborate indoor cut stone bath, both of which use mineral-rich natural groundwater. The Goemon bath uses firewood that has been dried for about a year, and the landlady and staff heat it up for about an hour in time for check-in.

A popular choice for families and groups is the two-story detached "Kura-Rindo," which can accommodate up to eight people. The space was relocated from a storehouse that is over 120 years old, and is full of playful features, including an open atrium, a second-floor terrace, and a hidden room.

In spring, you can enjoy the scent of fresh greenery and the breath of new buds, in summer, the chirps of wild birds echoing through the blue sky, in autumn, the spectacular views of autumn leaves and a sea of clouds, and in winter, the pure white snow as you soak in a hot bath. No matter what season you visit, Aso Yamaboshi is a place where you can enjoy the bounty of nature with all your senses.

Asuno mountain hat

The countryside offers a relaxed flow of time and a nostalgic Japanese landscape, while traditional Japanese inns offer a warm and relaxing atmosphere. These are valuable experiences that cannot be experienced in modern life. Once the COVID-19 situation has calmed down, why not take a trip to a "hometown you have never seen before" that is somehow nostalgic and comforting?

Stay in an old-style house with JAL Pack

A traditional Japanese house with a charming, nostalgic atmosphere
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*Some content was updated on November 30, 2023.