An experience-based tourism utilizing the rich local resources of Taiki Town! The story of farm stay guest houses owners who convey the charm of their region to people in Japan and abroad through their guest houses
Taiki town is a small town with a population of about 8,000. It has a mild climate and is home to the sea, mountains, and rivers. With the Nishiki fishing port facing the Kumanonada Sea, the World Heritage Sites of Tsuzurato-toge Pass, Nisaka-toge Pass of the Kumano Kodo, the crystal clear Miya River and Ouchiyama River, the town is filled with beautiful natural scenery.
▲Ms. Izuho Fujiwara, the owner of "Minpaku Izuho"
We interviewed Ms. Izuho Fujiwara, who runs "Minpaku Izuho" and Ms. Harumi Hama, who runs "Sanzui".
After retiring in 2018, Ms. Fujiwara opened a farm stay guest house in January of the following year. She welcomed about 100 people in the first year.
In order to experience interacting with people from different countries before starting a guest house, Ms. Fujiwara participated in WWOOF (a system where people provide food, lodging, knowledge, and experience in exchange for labor) through an acquaintance, and spent 40 days with participants from different countries at an apple orchard in Nagano Prefecture.
▲Lodging space
Ms. Fujiwara: I`m from a rural area, so I was worried at first if I would be able to communicate with people from overseas who couldn't speak Japanese. But through my experience I realized that even if you can’t speak the language, if you spend time together, you’ll able to communicate with each other. That’s when I started to feel like I was ready to give it a try.
▲Here you can experience a traditional goemon bath
Stories from the Guest House.
Shortly after starting the guest house, an elementary school boy from China accidentally punched a hole in a shoji screen while playing with a rubber gun. The boy immediately took out his 1,000 yen bill from his wallet and presented it to Ms. Fujiwara. She gestured to him that it was okay and not to worry about it, but the boy gave her another 1,000 yen bill.
Ms. Fujiwara: I thought this was a bad idea, so I brought out a flyer and stuck it in the hole to show him that this was okay. Then, they finally understood. The episode was just after we started the guest house, and it left a great impression on me.
▲A welcome sign for foreign visitors
In another visit, Ms. Fujiwara hosted a Pakistani career woman who was also a vegan. They had been informed in advance, and had prepared vegan food for her, but she had a hard time eating. Ms. Fujiwara was very worried, but eventually the woman showed Ms. Fujiwara some packaged food she had brought from Pakistan.
Ms. Fujiwara: She also showed me pictures of the food she was eating in Pakistan. One of them was a kind of gratin, so I made a potato gratin with potatoes from our garden, and they finally ate it. In return, they made us meals with the packaged foods from Pakistan.
▲A smile overflows on Ms. Fujiwara’s face as she holds the letters.
Nothing special- just daily life in the countryside
We asked Ms. Fujiwara about her thoughts on running a guest house.
Ms. Fujiwara: It's only for a night or two, but I try to welcome them as if they were family, not just guests. When a guest arrives at our house, both parties are nervous at first- but after cooking a meal together, all of the tension lifts and we can relax together. We have a leaving ceremony where we see the guests off in their bus, and it makes me happy when the children cry at the farewell. Before I started the guest house, I never could have imagined that something could touch their heart like that.
Ms. Fujiwara always does an activity with her guests. Sometimes they make takoyaki and hand-rolled sushi together. Other times, she takes them to participate in community events such as Mochimaki.
She told us that she doesn’t want to do anything special or out of the ordinary- her goal is to let her guests experience the daily life of the country side. She also discussed her dreams for the future.
▲Scenery looking down from the terrace
Ms. Fujiwara: A lot of skilled elderly people live around here. I would like to have these retirees participate as staff in rice planting and harvesting activities, to give some purpose in their lives. I hope that more people in town can become involved in the guest house and contribute to the revitalization of this area.
Izuho and Harumi, the unstoppable duo
Ms. Harumi Hama and Ms. Fujiwara are like family. In fact, they’re so close that they’re often called the “unstoppable duo”.
▲Harumi Hama, the owner of Sanzui
This magnificent house used to be a villa for a Kobe trader. The stream next to it is so clear that sometimes you can see ayu fish swimming along it.
▲The lodging area of the house
Ms. Hama was born in Hyogo Prefecture and later moved to Tsu City, Mie Prefecture. At the age of 55, she obtained a cooking license and moved to Taiki Town in search of freedom.
Mr. Hama: My dream was to create a place where people who are tired of the city can rest their wings and fly away again, and this spacious house was perfect. At first, I was running a lunch restaurant for about eight years. Then I started wanting more freedom for myself. I’m the kind of person who can’t relax, so I started baking bread and selling it at the Bread Marche. When I felt that I couldn’t physically handle that any longer, I quit. That's when I found the guest house.
Connecting with locals through daily life.
We asked Ms. Hama to tells us how she connected with the local community after her move to Taiki town.
▲ A Kamado(traditional hearth) recently built with the help of local residents
Ms. Hama: I connect with locals naturally, through my daily life. The fishermen in Nishiki deliver fish to us, so I cook it with Ms. Izuho then share and eat the food together with the community. There are so many people in the neighborhood who always say, "If you want to do something, I'll help you.” I guess it's just the locals’ generous nature.
▲Mr. Souhei Hama, the husband of Mrs.Hama and a haiku instructor.
Mr. Souhei Hama, haiku instructor and husband to Ms. Hama, holds a popular event called "HIKE & Haiku" at Sanzui. The event allows guests to enjoy hiking and haiku while also admiring nature’s changing seasons. Guests can also enjoy lunch at Sanzui. According to Mr. Hama, creating these opportunities for personal interaction these connections have also lead to his own enjoyment.
Lastly, I asked Ms. hama about her dreams for the future.
Ms. Hama: Guest houses are fun and interesting. It makes me wonder why people more people don't do it. There are currently 20 farm stay guesthouses in Taiki Town, but I would like to see more and more of them open in the future. I want to attract more and more young people to live here. We have good relationships here, not to mention we have the ocean, mountains, and rivers. It's great!
On a personal note, there was a time when I lived moving from guest house to guesthouse, both in Japan and abroad. I spent a lot of time buying local food and cooking meals and chatting in the kitchen, just like the local residents.
When I remember those days, it makes me feel like I have several “homes”. It makes me feel lighter somehow. I think that memories made while travelling could become a continuing comfort and to support these travelling scholars and other guests.
Izuho Minpaku
Address: 342-3 Ouchiyama, Taiki Town, Watarai-gun, Mie Prefecture, 519-3111Phone number: 090-7601-6746
H P: https://taiki-bm.wixsite.com/iduho
Kawabe no Yado Sanzui
Address: 1568 Aso, Taiki Town, Watarai-gun, Mie Prefecture, 519-2704
Phone number: 090-3151-7633
HP: https://taiki-bm.wixsite.com/sanzui
Covering day: November 8, 2021
Written: Ikumi Noro, Writer (Web Magazine OTONAMIE)
Photo: Yutaka Matsubara (https://matsubara-yutaka.com/)
This article is a translation and reprint of the content created by the project of Departmentof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mie Prefectural Government.
Original article: https://www.sato.pref.mie.lg.jp/feature_news/