Forget Kyoto – for an insight into the real Japan, try sleeping in a wax merchant house, farmhouse or a renovated miso factory in Setouchi, the region around the Seto Inland Sea.
UNESCO recently added the traditional Japanese techniques required to preserve such buildings to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Setouchi Cominca Stayshas restored five kominkas (old houses) using these techniques, which include thatching, lacquer painting and tatami mat weaving.
Three of the properties are in Uchiko town in Ehime prefecture (county) on Shikoku, Japan’s fourth largest island.
Omori Japanese Candle Makers in Uchiko (Uchiko Tourist Information Centre)
The local architect Katsumi Yamashita restored the factory and wooden merchant house in Uchiko. The buildings feature sunken seating, sliding doors and handmade washi wallpaper, while the garden features stone works.
Ori house in Uchiko (Setouchi Cominca Stays)
Meanwhile, over in Shōbara, a hamlet inland from Hiroshima, you can stay in one of three farmhouses which are 100 to 250 years old.
Furosen farmhouse in Shobara (Setouchi Cominca Stays)
The Japanese architect Shiro Miura has restored them using natural materials such as stone and wood. In addition to thatched roofs, they feature earthen floor entrances and wood-burning outdoor baths, while one has a firepit which is part indoors, part outdoors.
Kozako Mori farmhouse in Shobara (Setouchi Cominca Stays)
As well as preserving traditional skills and abandoned buildings, the initiative is helping to revitalise local economies through tourism.
The exclusive-hire lodgings fit up to eight (from £320 per night). You can also book a package with transfers and tours through Wondertrunk & Co. cominca-stays.com; wondertrunk.co
