Private Experience · Outside of TakayamaCountryside Experience, welcomed by Forested Family
PRIVATE EXPERIENCE"Beyond the old town, real Hida life continues — as it has for centuries."
Be welcomed into the home of a farming and forestry family who have long been guardians of Hida's mountain culture. Walk the forest, make something with your hands, and sit with people whose way of life is rare, genuine, and quietly extraordinary.
Group sizeMin 2 up to 20
LocationHagiwara,
45mins from Takayama
Duration2.5 hours
Start timesAvailable 10am~2pm
Remarks ✓Family Friendly
✓Rental car required (transfer available as optional add-on)
Price 23,000jpy~/person
The placeA Mountain Home That Has Always Lived This Way.
Set in the hills 45 minutes from Takayama, this is the home of a family who have farmed and managed these forests for generations.
They are one of only seven households in Japan that still make “sugidama” the cedar-ball ornaments hung at the entrance of sake breweries.
The house, the land, the traditions — all of it is still very much alive. You are invited in as a guest.
The hostsA Family Who Has Always Lived This Way.
The family who welcomes you have farmed and tended this mountain for generations — and they carry that life with quiet pride.
Through your interpreter guide, you'll talk with them about the land, the seasons, the forest, and what it means to steward a place across generations.
The wife is a trained pastry chef, and what she creates reflects the same care and devotion found in everything on this property. The warmth you feel here is genuine. It always has been.
The EXPERIENCEArrive.
Be Welcomed.
Stay a While.
You arrive and are greeted by the family. You sit by the “irori”, the traditional sunken hearth, with Japanese tea and homemade sweets.
From there, you walk the mountain. The forest here is managed by the family. They know every part of it. You breathe it in, move through it slowly, and begin to understand what it means to live alongside nature rather than apart from it.
When you return, you make a “sugidama.” Cedar branches, bound together by hand, shaped into a sphere. The scent of fresh cedar fills the room. You take your finished piece home.
Then you sit again — this time with the wife's seasonal baked and fresh sweets, made with local fruits. Before you leave, you learn about the architecture of the house itself: how traditional farmhouses were built, and why they were built that way.
You will carry memory of an afternoon spent with people who live differently and beautifully.
What's Included
INCLUDED✓Welcome tea and sweets by the irori
✓ Forest walk on the family's mountain
✓ Sugidama-making experience
✓ Seasonal sweets by the family's pastry chef
✓ Introduction to traditional farmhouse architecture
✓ Interpreter guide throughout
✓ Transport to the nearest station (train from Takayama Station, approx. 50 min) *Please message us.
Not included✗ Transport to the property (Option available)
✗ Lunch (Options avalable)
Available Options
Seasonal farm lunch
¥3,000/personHealthy, local vegetables lunch
Private transfer from Takayama (round trip)
¥25,000/per vehicle (up to 4 people)Pick up and drop-off at your hotel in Takayama. For groups of 5 or more, please contact us directly.
We'll reply within 24 hours to confirm your booking.
Thank you! We'll be in touch at your email address within 24 hours to confirm your booking.
FAQs
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Highly recommended. However, you can take a direct train from Takayama Station (approx. 50 min) to the nearest station, where the family will pick you up complimentarily. Also we can organize a private car (round trip)
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A sugidama is a large ball made from cedar branches, traditionally hung at the entrance of sake breweries to announce a new brew. Only 7 households in Japan still make them by hand.
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Absolutely. Our youngest guest so far was just six months old — and spent most of the afternoon happily exploring the tatami. The forest walk is gentle, the sugidama-making works for all ages, and the family can tailor the experience toward children's activities if that's what the group needs. Little ones are very welcome here.
Enter a world few ever see.
Something real. Something lasting.
Beyond sightseeing,
into real lives.
