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Countryside & Kominka Experience

Stay in historic farmhouses and experience rural Japanese life

Machiya townhouses and kominka (traditional farmhouses) offer a window into historic Japan. Many abandoned properties have been lovingly restored as guesthouses, giving travelers an authentic rural experience unavailable in city hotels.

What is a Kominka (古民家)?

Kominka are traditional Japanese farmhouses, typically more than 50 years old, with distinctive architectural features including thick thatched or tiled roofs, exposed wooden beams (zashiki), and open irori (sunken hearths) at their center.

As rural Japan faces population decline, thousands of these historic buildings have been lovingly restored by passionate owners who want to share traditional Japanese culture with visitors from around the world.

✓Thatched roofs
✓Irori hearths
✓Wooden beams
✓Engawa verandas
✓Shoji screens
✓Tatami floors
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Featured Kominka Stays

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Nara Ancient Farmhouse Inn

📍 Nara

200-year-old restored farmhouse with traditional irori hearth

¥12,000–¥25,000 per night

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Kyoto Machiya Townhouse

📍 Kyoto

Restored 100-year-old townhouse in Kyoto with traditional engawa and tsuboniwa garden

¥15,000–¥40,000 per night

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Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Farmhouse

📍 Gifu

UNESCO-listed thatched-roof farmhouse with stunning mountain views

¥18,000–¥35,000 per night

Types of Rural Stays

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Kominka

Traditional farmhouse 50+ years old, often with irori hearth

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Shiro-泊 (Castle Stay)

Sleep inside one of Japan's historic castles

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Shukubo (Temple Stay)

Meditate and eat shojin ryori with Buddhist monks

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Gyoson (Fishing Village)

Wake at 4am and join local fishermen for the catch