Saraya, a renovated 150-year-old traditional farmhouse turned guesthouse in Kamiyama, offers a blend of relaxation and historical immersion. Surrounded by nature, it provides seasonally inspired local cuisine and spacious rooms ideal for group stays. The guesthouse also introduces experiential plans that let guests engage with local traditions and activities, ranging from foraging and tea picking to crafting and seasonal agricultural tasks, making it a unique opportunity to experience rural Japanese culture.
For sure a unique place to stay! The owner picked us up a couple km’s away in his car, and as we drove up he says “My house, oldest house!” This is apparently the oldest house in the town. It definitely feels like it, but the whole place is pretty large and we got our own room in an annexed chunk of the property. The rooms and sections are separate, and you have to walk outside to travel between places. It’s got kind of a farmhouse feel and I saw a lot of little critters around when I walked outside at night which was kind of fun! The owner drove us to dinner since we were the only guests that night - he said if there’s 3 or more, he cooks, otherwise he takes them to his favorite restaurant! It was indeed good! He did make us breakfast, which was simple but yummy. He also drove us back to the trail in the morning. Don’t expect anything fancy, but it’s a unique place with a kind owner.