Rural Escapes: Journeying to Two Traditional Japanese Inns

◆Gather Around the Sunken Hearth
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The irori sunken hearth is the symbolic heart of the rural home around which people gather to prepare tea, cook meals, celebrate and keep warm. As well as providing a light source, a low fire would be kept burning at all times as the rising smoke keeps insects out of the thatched roof and helps to preserve the wooden structure of the home.

Although the kitchen is fully equipped, cooking over coals in the traditional way in the sunken hearth is the best way to fully embrace the kayabuki experience! We enjoyed a hotpot dinner of free-range chicken and fresh local vegetables along with a number of side dishes provided by the operators of Mitoya. After the delicious meal, we listened to the gentle chirping of insects from outside as the orange embers of the hearth slowly faded and the evening drew to a close.

Waking early to breathe the fresh morning air from the veranda, we watched as the mountains and rice fields were bathed in the golden light of a beautiful sunrise. There are also mornings where the surroundings are blanketed in mist and the scene takes on an otherworldly feel. Breakfast was self-serve with local produce including bread and Miyama milk, as well as cereal, coffee and a selection of teas provided in the kitchen.

Staying under the roof of a kayabuki home surrounded by the beauty of Miyama’s countryside revealed a much more tranquil side to Kyoto and provided an insight into the superb architecture only found in the rural parts of the prefecture. We explored the area around Mitoya on foot but another great way to take in the natural surroundings is by renting a bicycle from the operators of the cottage.

If you’d like to further enjoy Kyoto’s countryside, the Miyama area also offers several outdoor activities such as hiking trails, river rafting and fishing.

For Mitoya, prices range from 8,200 yen to 55,900 yen depending on the season and number of guests. Hotpot dinner course is priced at 6,900 yen per person.Shuttle service to and from JR Sonobe station is available.

Address (reception center): 52 Shima-koiwa, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture


Located by a bay on the Japan Sea one hour and forty minutes north by car from central Kyoto, is the coastal city of Miyazu. A prosperous castle town during the Edo period (1603-1867), the city still retains an ‘old town’ charm thanks to a number of buildings preserved from this era. For hundreds of years this region has also been the center of production and distribution of an important kimono fabric, a silk crepe known as Tango chirimen. However, the biggest draw to the region is undoubtedly Amanohashidate, a picturesque pine tree covered sandbar—generally considered one of the top three most beautiful scenes in Japan—that stretches across Miyazu Bay to the scenic Tango Peninsula beyond.

Over the centuries people from far and wide have journeyed to this coastal region to enjoy its culture and natural beauty. A short drive from Amanohashidate is a traditional Japanese inn, Seikiro, which has been providing accommodation for these travelers since it was established by the Tokuda family over 300 years ago. Impressively, the inn has remained in the hands of the same family ever since it opened its doors in 1690—the present manager is the 13th generation of Tokudas to run the establishment.

The three-story building is registered as a tangible cultural property, with its main section being constructed 120 years ago. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the smiles of staff—we hear Seikiro is well known for excellence in hospitality—as we began to get our first taste of the charm of the property. Instead of wooden floors, which are more typical of Japanese inns, the corridors and stairs here are lined with cozy tatami mats. The old-fashioned furnishings in the foyer created a nostalgic air, and the welcoming atmosphere made us feel very much at home.