A village homestay will teach you a lot about life in Japan. Photo / Getty Images
Japanese culture is so much more than Tokyo. For those who want to have an authentic experience, Julia D’Orazio recommends a homestay in the countryside.
Japan’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa, is one of five Blue Zones in the world. In these happy, healthy, and gratified zones, a high percentage of the population are centenarians. I’m here to experience Okinawa as a wellness destination, wanting to discover the secrets to a long life far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I can’t imagine the island’s much-loved brew Orion and the ever-present tinned ham, Spam, on their radar (the latter American-influenced, with a military base on the island).
To satisfy my curiosity, I head north to the Yambaru region, a two-hour drive from the capital, Naha. In the south, longstanding Okinawan tradition seems to have disappeared behind cosmopolitan lights. Although Naha’s high rises don’t loom as large as Japan’s crowded cities, modern living thrives with shopping centres and tourist thoroughfare Kokusai Street – a 1.6-km stretch of shops, restaurants, and bars, presenting an all-too-familiar concrete jungle.
I’m aching for a sea change.
It’s a coastal scenic drive to get to the fabled land: crossing a 1.9km-long Kouri Bridge, passing sea stacks, mountains shrouded in green, small settlements, roadside cemeteries, and forests to arrive at my home for the next three days, Yambaru Hotel Nammei Shinshitsu.
The boutique hotel was established by two sisters, Itsumi Nakamoto and Yu Nakamoto, in Kunigami, a 400-year-old village, in 2022. They aim to share the region’s serene, unobtrusive charms and unique ways of life along mountain foothills by the coast. Two refurbished traditional Okinawan-style residences allow tourists to become part of the tight-knit Jashiki community. Yet, despite the village’s endurance, ironically, it is trying to survive.
Over the years, its population has dwindled to 28; these unique stays help its revival. The hotel is run by local Sherpas. My host, Risa Uehara, tells me one of the reasons why she wanted to be involved in the community project is to help keep traditions and cultural knowledge of living with nature alive.
The countryside stay offers people a chance to understand the core of their culture through 20 customised experiences in and around the village. Unconventional activities such as night fishing, a hosted barbecue on residence grounds, and even visiting the local shaman can be arranged by a Sherpa. With these activities, there is maximum participation from residents following their ikigai - something that brings joy and adds value to one’s life. It includes hobbies and friends and is one of the keys to longevity.
READ MORE: Two sisters fly to Japan for culture, cuisine, and kinship
I begin my cultural immersion with a one-hour guided village tour. Lofty hedgerows of trimmed Garcinia trees dwarf us as we walk along narrow paths between houses and agricultural lands. Small Agu pigs – Japan’s only native breed – dart between gardens, their little legs animating the landscape. Passing farms with plentiful fresh produce, Uehara explains Okinawans predominately follow a plant-based diet, another secret to reaching their 100th birthday.
It’s time to sample these colourful vegetables with a home-cooked dinner experience. The sisters’ mother, Michiko, comes to my lodging to prepare a traditional dish using Okinawan sweet potatoes, a diet staple alongside other produce cultivated nearby. The vegetables are vibrant on my plate, and the freshness of flavours dance on my tongue.
Another way to understand locals’ connection to nature is to be in the thick of it. Yambaru National Park is a 20-minute drive from the lodge. The nature reserve is home to Okinawa’s tallest waterfall, Hiji Otaki Falls. I embark on the moderate 2.7km return trail with a guide to arrive at the 26m-high waterfall deep within the forest. Along the way, my guide explains the unique native flora and fauna surrounding us. We walk to a chorus of cicada strums and birdsong, such blissful tones.
The next day, I bid farewell to land to gain a new perspective on Okinawa on a sabani. Okinawan fishermen have used these wooden boats for centuries. I join boat-builder Teppei Hentona on one of his crafted boats for a two-hour tour around Shoiya Bay. I tightly grip a paddle that could be mistaken for a giant cricket bat to help power the boat. But once the white sails are hoisted, it’s all smooth sailing. I relax my limbs and feel at peace, appreciating this slow pace of life encircled by forested peaks.
Founder Itsumi Nakamoto tells me people don’t visit the region by chance; they come to Yambaru to be guided by something.
“The whole point is to have people understand the local culture, this spiritual world, and local communities are all connected.”
No wonder Okinawans lead such happy, long lives.
Yambaru Hotel Nammei Shinshitsu’s lead-in package includes two nights of accommodation, two breakfasts, one dinner, a guided village tour and one private activity from JP¥52,500 (NZ$581) per person. See yambaru.co.jp/en
Okinawa’s pace of life mirrors its distance, both far removed from the rest of Japan. The country’s southernmost prefecture is made up of 160 tropical islands, with the capital, Naha, on Okinawa Main Island – the largest in the archipelago – a three-hour flight from Tokyo.
GETTING THERE
Air NZ flies non-stop from Auckland to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport in 10.5 hours. An onward flight to Naha takes approx. 4.5 hours.
DETAILS
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