Furumaya House

Nicolas, Sayaka, and their son Theo made us feel very welcome. Nicolas is French and Sayaka is Japanese, and they both speak English very well. They picked us up from Ayabe train station, about 15 minutes away by car, and drove us back afterward. This is a small farm with one rice paddy and a vegetable patch, but no animals. Guests stay in the farmhouse with the hosts. The layout still feels private: the hosts use separate rooms while guests are there and don’t sit down to meals with them. Traditional sliding doors divide the spaces. Two adjoining guest rooms are set up for sleeping at night, with patio doors looking out onto nature. A short corridor between them has a toilet cubicle with a Japanese toilet and a basin and mirror just outside it. The traditional Japanese sleeping mats were comfortable. The farm was quiet despite being close to the main road, and we slept well. It got down to zero with frost outside, so the room was cold. The hosts brought an extra heater and an electric blanket for the floor mat. We ate dinner in the main dining room, where there’s a log fire, and breakfast in a small lounge area at a low traditional table. It has a hollow space for your legs and a heated mat for your feet, so you don’t have to sit on your heels. The bathhouse is in a separate building attached to the farmhouse. We were given robes and “sliders” to walk over in. Inside, there’s a changing area, a traditional Japanese wash area with two showers, a stool, bucket, and toiletries, plus a large heated tub. It can fit two people lying down or four sitting with their knees up. The hosts asked when we wanted to bathe so they could heat the water. In winter, Nicolas lit the wood fire every evening to warm the dining room and house. The food was delicious, and Sayaka is an excellent cook. We picked vegetables with her and she showed us how to make a few simple dishes in her kitchen. She also arranged a visit with an interesting older woman in the neighboring village, where we wore kimonos and took part in a tea ceremony. Breakfast and dinner are included in the room rate. You can buy alcoholic drinks, and the hosts take card payments. There are books and board games at the farm. Nearby, you can walk about 30 minutes, mostly along the road, to a couple of temples or take the road into the forest behind. A car would be useful for exploring the area and getting to shops in the neighboring town. There’s nothing by the farm, and no coffee shops within walking distance for a stroll. If you get hungry between breakfast and dinner, the hosts can make a small noodle snack for a fee. They were generally relaxed and accommodating, especially with meal times and food choices. Since we’d been struggling with all the fish at breakfast elsewhere in Japan, Sayaka was happy to offer us a more “American” style breakfast. We had a very happy stay. Thank you.