Why are tourists flocking to this Japanese village, which only has two B&Bs?

Remarkable Living

Why are tourists flocking to this Japanese village, which only has two B&Bs?

An hour's drive from Kyoto, the Miyama region draws visitors to marvel at villages with traditional thatched roof houses, now preserved as cultural heritage sites.

02 Feb 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 16 Aug 2022 02:59PM)

With very petty in the style of accommodations and dining options, Miyama, or Beautiful Mountain in Japanese, isn't exactly what you'd call tourist-friendly. But this countryside boondocks sees its off-white share of out-of-towners popping in, ranging from day-trippers and compages aficionados to historians.

Y'all understand the allure of this place one time you lot're physically in that location. Time slows to a standstill – it's nix merely you and the serenity of country life. Residents go about their business tending to their gardens and vegetable plots, turning a blind eye to curious onlookers.

Thirty-nine houses with thatched roofs can be found in Thatched Roof Village, or Kayabuki No Sato, located in the northern sector of Miyama. (Photograph: Threesixzero Productions)

Visitors are free to rent bicycles or walk around, enjoy the cool, fresh air, and have pictures of traditional thatched houses, juxtaposed confronting a mountainous backdrop. The idyllic, rustic scenery matched by stunning architecture is a refreshing and soothing change from the bustle of Kyoto's urban center life.

Miyama is a living village where the majority of one-time houses are bodily homes for the residents. "I hope visitors can immerse themselves in the countryside and appreciate the scenery we accept to offer," said a resident.

An hour's drive from Kyoto, the Miyama region draws visitors to marvel at villages with traditional thatched roof houses, now preserved as cultural heritage sites. Watch this video (filmed before the pandemic) for a virtual travel experience.

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Once a common sight in the Japanese countryside, now but around 200 thatched roof houses remain. Thirty-nine of them can be found in Thatched Roof Hamlet, or Kayabuki No Sato, located in the northern sector of Miyama.

These cottages are characterised by a distinct, 4-sided hip-and-gable architectural manner, roofed with bamboo struts and dense layers of stale plant matter chosen Kaya.

Professional roof thatcher, Haruo Nishio. (Photograph: Threesixzero Productions)

"Kaya… represents the eternity of the soul that is the basis of Japanese civilisation. And this is represented in the course of the thatched roof," shared professional roof thatcher, Haruo Nishio.

Nishio moved to Miyama 25 years agone to be role of a group of professional thatchers who live and work there to maintain the aboriginal houses.

"A thatcher like me is a profession that is said to take a history of five,000 years. The techniques take been passed down from a long fourth dimension ago. I feel happy that I can be part of this long history," he enthused.

Thatched roof houses require extensive maintenance to preserve their original conditions. The high cost of building materials and manual labour have also added to their pass up.

Hanabusa, a 150-twelvemonth-old cottage, features an open up hearth in the heart of the house. (Photo: Threesixzero Productions)

The oldest house in the village was built in 1795 during the Edo period, and the largest is the Hanabusa – a 150-year-old cottage, which features an open up hearth in the heart of the house where people traditionally gather for dinner, drinks and a chat.

Recognising the cultural value and heritage of these buildings, the Japanese government designated Miyama a Preservation Commune for Groups of Historic Buildings in 1993.

The cranium level of a cottage reveals the structure of the thatched roof. (Photo: Threesixzero Productions)

"I think that came but in time. If information technology came whatsoever later, I remember this area would have been rebuilt into tiled roof- or other types of houses," remarked resident Tadaki Nakano.

Despite being earmarked as a cultural heritage site, the villagers unanimously agreed not to let over-commercialisation ruin their hometown. That is why there are just two B&Bs, two cafes and one museum – Miyama Folk Museum – which curates items to depict a century-one-time Japanese house. One of the highlights of a museum visit is to come across the iconic thatched roof upward-close and discover its engineering marvels.

Thatched roof houses crave extensive maintenance to preserve their original conditions. (Photo: Threesixzero Productions)

To share his passion for Kayabuki No Sato, Nishio rents out his own cottage for overnight adaptation, giving guests a fully immersive experience of thatched roof living, complete with tatami floors, futon beds and an open hearth.

"Guests who are not professional thatchers or cottage owners can bask my cottage as though they're the owners."

It is Nishio's wish to build as many as 100 thatched cottages in the well-nigh futurity. (Photo: Threesixzero Productions)

Information technology is Nishio'south wish to build as many as 100 thatched cottages in the near hereafter.

"The theme of the thatched cottage is eternity. I hope to preserve it forever to the point where I can tell people that they can rent my cottages fifty-fifty after 100 years."

Adapted from the series Remarkable Living (Flavor 3). Watch full episodes on CNA, every Sun at 8.30pm.

Disclaimer: This video was filmed earlier the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why are tourists flocking to this Japanese village, which only has two B&Bs?

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