Monthly Rentals in Hayashima, Tsukubo District

The plants in the garden were eclectic and wonderful.This time, I want to use it in autumn.

Pristine and peaceful traditional, two story Japanese home with a great location, steps from a sweet natural wine bar, around the corner from Kurashiki's main attractions and not far from a groovy, albeit rudimentary sento, for those of you who like to bathe in classic Japanese public bath houses. Loved everything about this little gem. It was clean and spacious enough for three guests to each get their own bedrooms with supremely comfortable futon beds. There's even an extra room that can be used as a social area, though we found it practical to store our unpacked suitcases here. The kitchen and dining area have everything you need, the bath is small but a nice addition to the separate shower. The tiny garden has a little indoor/outdoor seating area which is perfect for early morning tea or an afternoon drink. Bonus points for the two toilets, one on each floor. And extra bonus points for the kind and attentive host who even offered us a late checkout.

This was my second stay at Hideo's place. As I described in my earlier review, Hideo is the perfect host, and his place offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience classic Japanese architecture and living. I had a number of interesting conversations with Hideo, and he took extra time to show me around the local area, which he knows extremely well. I would like to emphasize that the Kurashiki area holds much more interest than just the famous Bikan historical quarter near downtown. The canal system extends far beyond downtown. Likewise, there are many traditional old farmhouses and merchant's houses around the region. The Seto inland sea is not far away. You can take a ferry to interesting islands such as Naoshima. There are also many good bicycling routes (similar to the Kibiji route). I had a great time biking across rice plains and into the hills, visiting temples & shrines, and enjoying wonderful views across the inland sea. Hideo was kind to provide a good bicycle.

We had a great stay in this lovely home, conveniently located for our travels in a residential area. The home was a good size and the beds were extremely generous and comfortable.