NOTE: ONLY TWO OF THE ORIGINAL VILLAS ARE STILL OPEN (SHIRAISHI AND HATTOJI). THIS ROUTE WILL BE RECONFIGURED IN THE FUTURE.

Getting There

Okayama is a central rail link for both regular and shinkansen bullet trains. Plan on at least three hours and fifteen minutes (or up to four hours) if coming from Tokyo. From Shin-Osaka, it's only about 40 minutes. Those on a budget should know that JR's shinkaisoku commuter trains barrel from as far away as the eastern edge of Lake Biwa for only the price of the regular ticket (no express charges). However, they only go as far west as Himeji, and there appears to be only one kaisoku commuter express a day between Himeji and Okayama. But since the starting point for this tour is Oku station, you can take the regular train to Aioi and then change to the southern Ako line. Note that this is a leisurely line; it will take you at least an hour to get from Aioi to Oku.

Accommodations

It doesn't make much sense to do a villa tour unless you've reserved the villas, and this may be your biggest challenge. Of all of the villas, Shiraishi is the most likely to be booked solid (particularly in summer). Remember you should get reservations for all the villas in order on the right dates or you may have to use trains, buses or different cycle-routes from the ones given here. At last report, villas could be reserved SIX months in advance (to the day), and many people are very well organized and get in their calls and faxes at 9:00 sharp on the designated day. So plan carefully and reserve EARLY; consult the villa’s website (http://www.harenet.or.jp/villa/) for more information.

As the villas were designed for foreign travelers, you have to be a non-Japanese, or go together with a non-Japanese, to stay in them. Some people (myself included) dislike such exclusionary policies, but it is undeniable that these places would be booked solid if they were opened up to the general public... and that would defeat their purpose.

The "member's" rate for villa occupancy is a very reasonable 2,500 yen a night and foreigners can automatically become members (by paying 500 yen). Non-members are charged 3,000 yen. Exchange student and (company) trainee members from overseas are given a 500 yen discount. If you're occupying a two-person room (almost all villa rooms are double rooms) by yourself, you'll be charged an additional 500 yen a night.

To become a member, simply show up. You can pay the 500 yen for a 2-year membership and then pay member's price for your first night. At most of the villas, you simply go to the villa and someone will be there (or come later) to check you in. At Ushimado, you have to stop in and pick up the keys at the town hall on the way; the villa office will send you a fax with complete instructions. At Shiraishi, you check in and get the key right at the ferry port on the island.

To make villa reservations, contact the villa office (in the Okayama Prefectural Office) at the following numbers:

Phone (086) 256-2535

Fax (086) 256-2576

Office hours are 9am - noon and 1pm - 5pm, closed Mondays. As previously noted, the web site is at http://www.harenet.or.jp/villa/

There are five villas in all. You make reservations for ALL of them at the villa office numbers listed above. The phone numbers in the table below are for the phones in the villas themselves.

VILLA PHONE   ADDRESS

Ushimado(086934)-4218496 Ushimado, Ushimado-cho, Okayama 701-43

Hattoji(0869) 85-02541193 Kagami, Yoshinaga-cho, Okayama 709-03

Takebe(0867) 22-2500586 Takebe-kami, Takebe-cho, Okayama 709-31

Fukiya(0866) 29-22228863 Fukiya, Nariwa-cho, Okayama 719-23

Shiraishi(0865) 68-2095317 Shiraishi-jima, Kasaoka-shi, Okayama 714

Two of the villas - Fukiya and Hattoji - can be booked exclusively (meaning all rooms) for a set price. Currently the exclusive booking prices are 20,000 yen for Fukiya and 18,000 yen for Hattoji.

You may be surprised that, the last time I checked, none of the international villas was equipped with an international telephone. Some of them didn't even have phones that accepted the thin paper Japanese telephone cards that were in standard use before cell phones became ubiquitous. At Shiraishi this isn't a problem, since there are pay phones nearby, but at the more isolated places it might be a problem. Ask the villa office what type of phones are available and whether there is cell phone reception.

Food & Sights

USHIMADO

Ushimado has plenty of restaurants and stores; getting food here will not be a problem.

In terms of sights, wandering around the fishing village satisfies most visitors, but (as mentioned in the Story section), the island of Maejima is worth a visit, particularly for cyclists. The ferry is cheap and takes only a few minutes.

HATTOJI

There is one restaurant which closes fairly early, and as I recall this is the only place to buy beer there as well; you might confirm this with the villa office. If you plan to cook or may arrive late, you should probably plan on bringing your food in.

Hattoji has several exhibits of what life was like in a mountain town; strolling through the area (once you recover from the hill) should occupy you for the duration of your visit. There are some decent hikes in the area as well. However, there are a couple of other places of note along the way to the villa:

Bizen

Bizen is the home of the famed bizen-yaki pottery. Although there are kilns everywhere, the arguable center of the area is Inbe station, which comes just as route 39 rounds the curve of the coast and changes into route 250; hang a left at the junction and it's about a kilometer away. For years a bizen-yaki sake set was the only adornment in my apartment (and a most useful adornment it was).

Shizutani Gakko (School)

The first school of true public education in Japan, as it was set up to educate the children of commoners (as opposed to samurai or other ruling classes), established in 1670. There's an English pamphlet (and an admission charge); the grounds are also famous for two enormous trees whose leaves are stunning in autumn. This comes on local route 261 after you pass under the Sanyo Expressway, on the right just before Yoshinaga Station.

KOSHIHATA

(Although the villa no longer exists, this section is included for curious cyclists who want to visit the area.)

Some of my favorite times have been with friends at Koshihata. However, this villa should come with a warning label: there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in terms of stores, etc. anywhere nearby; even the nearest beer vending machine is about two kilometers away. You will have to bring in ALL of your provisions, so plan carefully.

There are several places of note right around the villa:

"Swimming Hole"

This was shown in the Story section. It's a short way up the road past the villa; the trail starts on the left. The trail marker may be a bit hard to find; ask people in the area if you get confused.

Kurami Onsen

This is a lovely local hot springs that a friend discovered in the area; a visit has become a tradition ever since. Continue up on the road past the villa and turn left at the junction. They have a private screened-off "family bath" that's nice for relaxing with the wife and kids, if you have any. Also, they don't seem to mind if you create an impromptu sauna by walking down from the bath and dipping (briefly) in the freezing waters of the stream below. There are rooms available at about what you'd expect to pay at an onsen. The only problem with coming here as a cyclist is the hot, sweaty ride back. Kurami was severely damaged a few year's back in landslides from a storm, as I recall; hopefully it's back in business by now.

Warning: on the road to Kurami, there used to be a couple of places with cattle grates (?) at the bottom of long downhills that might severely damage bike tires (at least road ones); exercise caution the first time you travel between the villa and Kurami.

Okutsu Onsen

You're also not far away from Okutsu Onsen, a far more well-known one than Kurami. To tell the truth, I've never been; expect a report in the near future. Go down from the villa and take the first right; it's not far north of the junction with route 179.

TAKEBE

Takebe is a bona-fide town, so you should be able to find any number of small restaurants and stores at which to buy provisions. However, when I think of "sights" in Takebe, absolutely nothing springs to mind. Enjoy the latter part of the ride there and the bath, and if you find anything interesting in the town, let me know...

FUKIYA

Fukiya offers probably the most things to do of any of the villas. This makes sense, as this is only the second town in Okayama (after Kurashiki) to be designated a special historical city (or at least I think that's what I was told on my last visit there). Among the many things you can do:

- Visit a "bengara" pottery hall where you can view samples and even try your hand at making some;

- Walk through an old copper mine with moving mechanical figures showing what it was like to mine copper in the old days.

There are also numerous side trips you can do from the villa; one of my favorite goes down to the west and then through a tiny river gorge to Ikura Falls and Ikura Cave to the east.

Although there are places to buy food here, selection is extremely limited and you should stock up in Takahashi. However, there are several places to eat: one coffee shop (service may be slow; on one of my visits, the owner showed us the waterwheel she had constructed in her back yard!), two soba shops and my favorite: the Fukiya Kanko Noen, which does fabulous Genghis Khan barbecues with beef and/or wild boar (inoshishi) and a wonderful sansai (mountain vegetable) donburi. It's a short walk up the road to the east from the villa, up a small driveway.

SHIRAISHI

Shiraishi is one of those places with few sights to see but lots of things to do; lounging on the deck of the villa; going to the beach; hiking; and just wandering around the small community. There's not even much of particular note on the way there. However, as there is only one coffee shop on the island and no restaurants, you will have to do your own cooking (unless you want to try to convince one of the local minshuku to serve you). I suggest that you buy most of your meat and other "big" food items at the big supermarket near Kasaoka Station (east and down from the station, just before you cross the highway to get to the ferry port). The selection at the shops on the island is much more limited, though naturally beer and other common alcohols are available in abundance.

Getting Away

The ferry back from Shiraishi lands you a five-minute walk from Kasaoka station on the main JR line. From here it's a short hop to Okayama (or Shin-Kurashiki, even closer) where you can catch a bullet train; many express trains stop at Kasaoka as well.

For other options, see the Alternatives page.

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