So many people tell me that they want to experience the real, real, real Japan and as much as you can try and hunt out the least touristy and most traditional spots in town… unless you actually get to live with a family in the countryside you’ll miss out on seeing true Japan – the true Japan that is the current, real-life country Japan.
I was able to do a homestay in the countryside for a full year of high school – an experience that is tricky to replicate if you’re here for a holiday. BUT … this week I found the closest thing to it ! – a quaint and truly unique guesthouse … an hour and a half outside of Tokyo in a cozy little countryside town called Tsuru in Yamanashi Prefecture. I took a Rapid Express Train to Otsuki Station from Shinjuku and it took 65 minutes.
Now Tsuru may not be listed in your guidebook but that’s because it’s the real deal.
Rice fields, wasabi farms, gorgeous wooden Japanese homes and small local temples at the end of little windy roads – all with their own story.
And the backdrop on a clear day ? Mt. Fuji ! (it’s only 20kms away.)
Most Japanese people will tell you that if you’re keen on seeing Tsuru, as it doesn’t have a great list of touristy spots, to pass through on your way to Lake Kawaguchi etc. But I disagree.
Without wandering far from Tokyo this is a great place to just hit pause and just “BE in Japan” for a bit.
By “be” I mean…
– walk down windy streets (or up hills if you’re hoping to spot a monkey, wild boar or fox … I even saw some bear warning signs but was delighted to not spot on for myself)
– say Konnichiwa to the locals (they don’t get many international guests so will be startled and then just soooo happy that you’re greeting them warmly!)
– take some amazing photos of Japanese old-school architecture or signs that have been there for, clearly, a long, long time
– wander into little ramen & Ma’n’Pa type shops and see what they have on offer.
And as for this homestay-like accommodation I was talking about?
Two nights ago I stayed in this lovely wooden Japanese home called Yado Poppoya that has only recently been also opened as a guesthouse.
A gorgeous couple live here with their little girl.
Rina, who does all of the upkeep of the guesthouse herself, used to work for Japan Airlines and speaks fluent English.
Her husband was a policeman who has always had a fascination with all things to do with trains. So he actually changed careers and now drives the local train in Tsuru.
And his train memorabilia has been put to good use. The guesthouse is laden with train parts, station signs and seating, and even one of the bedrooms is made to look like a giant train. The attention to detail is truly outstanding.
Before I stayed here, if someone had tried to explain to me how railway-chic and traditional Japanese style rooms could possibly blend together and not be completely random I wouldn’t have been able to completely get my brain around it – but, Rina has a fantastic sense of style and it all just works beautifully.
I will be visiting again soon with my children as the place was so kid-friendly… but I also found it to be a really lovely place to stay without children.
The rooms are cozy and there are two big communal living spaces (one is a large tatami room where you can just stretch out and relax) so you don’t feel confined to your room at all – you’re really part of the family.
There is free wi-fi and a self-serve tea, coffee and microwave station for guests too.
If you’re a fan of bread, be sure to ask Rina about her friend who bakes from her own home. Fresh bread is the best!
When I am back with my kids I plan to just slowly explore the town on foot but I also want to just spend a large amount of time chilling out in the house. Watch the trains pull into the station outside (only two an hour which is a big change from Tokyo life for me!), read and let my kids play with all of the toy trains and books provided in the tatami room area and in the rooms for families.
There is also a climbing wall just outside the train room. My two monkeys are going to love it. (For people with little babies there is a change table and a washing machine just next to the bathroom too.)
Because Lina speaks such beautiful English, the whole town is just so much more accessible if you don’t speak Japanese.
You can ask her for advice on where she likes to do her grocery shopping, they clearly know the train schedule off by heart and where they recommend eating out… you can even help wave her daughter off to school each morning as she will be sitting in the tatami room while she watches the clock before school starts. So special, right?
The bathroom is Japanese style and, although it is separate from the family bath, you will be sharing with other guests so you’ll need to take your turn if you don’t have the place to yourself. You’ll also need to remember the bathing customs where you are to shower and clean yourself thoroughly before soaking in the lovely deep tub.
If the idea of sharing water (not at the same time but the tub isn’t to be emptied between turns) with others is not something you’re ready to try (although I think you should as it is the done thing) you could just shower and no-one would know the difference.
If you plan on staying here you can find them on booking.com here or expedia.com here.
YADO POPPOYA
山梨県都留市上谷1-5-14
1-5-14 KAMIYA, TSURU-SHI, YAMANASHI
WEBSITE (JAPANESE ONLY SO BOOK THROUGH AIR BNB, BOOKING.COM OR EXPEDIA)
Well this is not so much a ‘thing to do’ as much as it is a ‘thing to look out for’ but… keep your eye out for flying fox mascots and signs. They are the symbol of this cute little town.
How about a visit to a Wasabi Farm ? And the only farm that has made the decision to grow organic wasabi – even though that meant that this farmer lost money when he first decided to stop spraying chemicals over his produce like his competitors. Admirable, yes?!
This farmers name is Kikuchi-san and he is the 3rd generation to look after this plantation business which turns 100 years old this year!!!!!
His farm is only 15 kilometers from Fuji and the wasabi is grown in the freshest and clearest Mt Fuji water.
Since he has decided to not use sprays, the wasabi plants are all protected by cups until they are ready to be picked so the small bugs in the water don’t try to have a little nibble on their way downstream (upstream? ! Okay… on their way to the supermarket, then?)
Although Kikuchi-san doesn’t speak English, I strongly recommend calling ahead and reserving a wasabi picking experience for 2000 yen. It’s, obviously, a very visual process so you’ll follow along just fine. He even provides the gumboots.
He is such a character and an inspiration. You’ll just love him and the kooky way that he has decorated his ‘office.’ It’s very, very cool.
He’ll even put on a pot of tea on for you when you’re done.
山梨県都留市夏狩1803
1803 NATSUGARI, TSURU-SHI, YAMANASHI
OPEN 8AM-5PM (ALTHOUGH YOU WILL NEED A JAPANESE SPEAKER TO MAKE A RESERVATION)
WASABI PICKING INTRODUCTION 2000 YEN (PHONE 0554-43-9279)
FACEBOOK PAGE (JAPANESE ONLY FOR NOW)
And then for something so amazing but completely different. Have you ever wanted to try Zazen Mediation in a temple? (Zazen explanation here.)
I was able to try it here for 10 minutes at Kouunin Temple in Tsuru.
The easiest way to have a turn is to join in their Zazen yoga session which is held on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:30am. Call 0554-43-2593 or email info@kouun-in.com (Japanese only.)
山梨県都留市夏狩１８８４
1884 NATSUGARI, TSURU-SHI, YAMANASHI
And a random suggestion, but a good one, is dining out on some amazing Italian food in a local restaurant cooked with as many locally grown ingredients as they can manage. The chef and his wife both spent a significant time in Italy and they really know their stuff.
They hand make everything from the pasta to the bread.
They speak Italian and Japanese (duh) but not a lot of English so I’d stick to a course to save any potential language hurdles and have someone call ahead (giving them ample time to prepare) if you have any special dietary requirements.
If you have a little drinkie-drinkie with your meal , you might want to try something local? Yamanashi prefecture is well known for their local wine.
Price expectation wise, I would expect to pay around 4000 yen per person at lunch or 6000 yen at dinner time.
LOCANDA ABBRACI
山梨県都留市夏狩2561-2
2561-2 NATSUGARI, TSURU-SHI, YAMANASHI
OPEN FOR LUNCH BOOKINGS STARTING MIDDAY-1PM
OPEN FOR DINNER 6PM-8PM
CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAY LUNCHTIMES
REVIEW & INFO ON THE TABELOG WEBSITE IN JAPANESE HERE (ALTHOUGH THERE ARE LOTS OF FOOD PICTURES)
RESERVATION HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
And then another idea that was waaaaaaaaay more interesting than I expected it to be… (am I a train-nerd now?) .. .was a trip to the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center.
They are in the middle of testing the new Shinkansen (bullet train) that will start running in 9 years.
I actually hovers over the line as it runs on magnets and can hit speeds over 500 kilometers per hour.
I was lucky enough to be there on a day when it was being tested (not even the staff at the centre knows when this will occur) and got to see the train go past more than 8 times. They do make an announcement when a train is about to pass the station so you can make your way to one of the many observation decks.
I got a few videos but it was WAAAAAAYYY to fast to capture in a photo. My goodness, its very impressive. There is a good video on the centre’s website (below) if you’d like to take a look.
Even if you’re not lucky enough to see the train whizz by, there is theatre where you can watch a short film and the back seats provide the sensation of riding on this new Shinkansen. There are also dioramas and experimental exhibits showing how the train operates.
I cannot stop crushing on these two cuties who were really getting into it. SO cute!
There is also a gift shop and I just couldn’t walk past these bandaids for my kiddies.
If you’re visiting with kids there is a softplay area. And also kiddie-sized jackets (and some adult options too).
YAMANASHI PREFECTURAL MAGLEV EXHIBITION CENTER
山梨県都留市小形山2381
2381 OGATAYAMA, TSURU-SHI, YAMANASHI
OPEN 9AM-5PM (LAST ENTRY 4:30PM)
CLOSED MONDAYS (ALTHOUGH GETS COMPLICATED AROUND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS SO SEE HERE FOR UPDATES)
ADMISSION: ADULTS 420 YEN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 310YEN, MIDDLE & PRIMARY STUDENTS 200 YEN
ACCESS: TAKE A 15 MINUTES BUS RIDE FROM OTSUKI STATION ( TIMETABLE HERE)
WEBSITE
