katakuri house

A small inn that renovated an abandoned school standing in the remote Akiyamago

Kataguri house is a small inn with only 7 rooms, which was renovated from an elementary school with 108 years of history in Sekiyama-gou, a world-famous heavy snow area that spans Niigata and Nagano prefectures.

Akiyamago is a remote area that spans Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture and Sakae Village in Nagano Prefecture, where traditional Japanese scenery and untouched nature reminiscent of Japanese folk tales can be found.

Within this area lies the small village of Ketto, where Katakuri house, a traditional Japanese inn, can be found.

The village's elementary school had been watching over the children of the community for 108 years but had to close due to depopulation. In order to preserve the building and the memories of the community, it was reborn as an accommodation facility.

The school's history dates back to 1884 during the Meiji era. It was even designated as an area exempt from compulsory education due to its remote location. Many children studied and grew up here until it closed in 1986.

The classrooms have been turned into guest rooms, and the principal's office has been transformed into a bath.

The classrooms that were once used by children have been transformed into simple Japanese-style rooms, and the principal's office has been reborn as a hot spring bath.

The alluring hot water is from a hot spring called Yuito Onsen. The rare type of hot spring is called "Boushousen," which is a type of sulfuric acid spring, and is very popular among customers for its excellent warming effect on the body.

Healthy creative cuisine made with plenty of local ingredients

The cuisine at the inn is a creative Japanese-style cuisine that makes abundant use of wild mountain vegetables and vegetables.

We strive to create dishes that balance taste, color, and nutrition and that allow guests to savor the flavors of the ingredients.

Our dishes include those that were created through trial and error with unfamiliar ingredients, those that are adaptations of local cuisine, those that were learned from the mothers in the village, and all of our sauces, tsukudani (simmered seafood or seaweed), pickles, and desserts are homemade.

We decorate the dining table with seasonal flowers and herbs that we gather from the wild mountains and fields around the inn and we serve your precious meals with our hearts, hoping that you will enjoy them.

Artworks of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field that both adults and children can enjoy

The former gymnasium is now home to art installations from the "Echigo-Tsumari Art Field", an art festival held in the Tsumari region. The artwork was created by artists Rintaro Hara and Yu.

The installation, which uses the entire gymnasium, is a sugoroku (a traditional Japanese board game) that both adults and children can enjoy. Please come and play!

"Kataguri no Yado," a former elementary school, has opened a Sugoroku (Japanese board game) board. The wooden gymnasium of the inn, which serves as an exhibition hall, still retains its former appearance, with play equipment and musical instruments such as basketball goals, pianos, organs, and Othello standing. We will incorporate these into Sugoroku and combine them with original table tennis tables and sculptures to create a giant Sugoroku board that anyone can play in the gymnasium. The village of Akiyamago, which can be seen and hidden as you travel south from Tsunan, winding roads that connect it, wooden buildings, play equipment, and musical instruments. Based on the experience of visiting during heavy snow, we will create "Tsumari Sugoroku" (Tsumari board game)."(Artist comment)

"Katakurino Yado", which used to be an elementary school, has been transformed into an inn. The inn is located in the remote area of "Akiyamago" and has been watching over many children. We hope you can enjoy your stay with us while feeling the memories of the school.

【Service】

• ・We do not provide the same services as general ryokans or hotels. We hope to offer hospitality unique to a repurposed school.

• ・Guests are asked to make their own beds.

(Sound)

• ・Since the building is a renovated wooden school, sound may reverberate.

(Bugs)

• ・As it is located in the mountains, insects may frequently intrude.

Regenerate response