Japan Farm Stays(4)

Our experience with Sawa-furusato Inn was one of the most amazing experience we had in Japan. The activity gave us the opportunity to see how ‘real Japanese’ people lived, specially in the rural area. Despite the language barrier, but thanks to google translate, we were able to share life experiences and understand better the way of life of Japanese people, specially in farming communities. Of course, there is no question and equal to the excellent meal we had with the Matsusaka beef (that was cooked by our host, Sawa, Sukiyaki two-ways - grilled beef, with soup and vegetables, plus the own-rice harvested by the Sensei - father of the house, who also entertained us with his very amiable impressions and sharing of his own farming experience. He took pride in his work as a rice farmer as the Matsusaka beef produced in the area (it was recently awarded in 2025 as the best Matsusaka beef in all of Japan)!!. Truly, doing this farm experience (sleeping in traditional Japanese farm house, using traditional cooking methods for rice, chopping for fire wood) was something very different and humbling. Despite our train adventure (or mis-adventure) travelling to Mie, it was worth the trip. But what really hit us is the personal and heartfelt sharing we had with our host Sawa and her father, that we would not have had in a large city. We would be happy to go back again !! Arigatou gozaimasu! ありがとうございます

I had a wonderful experience. Sawa-san (the host) came and picked me up from the station and drove me through the lovely Mie countryside to the guesthouse. We even stopped along the way to gather FRESH spring water from pipes (constantly inspected for freshness/cleanliness), literally, from the side of a mountain. The guesthouse is fantastic and spacious with all the modern facilities and amenities one would expect. Sawa-san even made these little dried garlic-bread snacks to have with tea. She is wonderful. I especially enjoyed out time cooking. The sukiyaki was an incredible experience for a first-timer. All of the vegetables (that we gathered from her own enclosed garden) and Matsusaka beef were delicious and she did a tremendous job preparing it for me. Cooking rice using a traditional wood-fire stove felt very authentic. The same thing with breakfast; Sawa-san prepared a feast on both occasions. She is a wonderful host who enjoys showing her culture and lifestyle to guests, and I cannot recommend this experience enough. Book it. You will not be disappointed.

1.Good communication in coordinating p/up from the train to the farmer's inn. 2. Immediately, felt welcomed to the home/farm of Mokumokuya by the owners. 3. Had great experiences by helping pick potatoes, collect chicken eggs, spring water & fish for our dinner. Especially, since we are city folks. 4. Delicious dinner, *conversations and hospitality from the time we arrived to our departure the next day. 5. We look forward to visiting and staying at this farm again on our next visit to Japan. *Both hosts & us used our language translator apps to communicate to each other. It was very effective as little got lost in translations.

Just 4 hours from Osaka, we found a hidden gem in a cozy little town in Mie 🌿💚 Stayed at the cutest farm-to-table guesthouse and WOW — talk about peace, nature, and mouthwatering MatsusakaBeef 😍🔥 The hosts were absolute sweethearts — they surprised us with matcha & adorable Japanese doll gifts 🎁🍵So wholesome, so welcoming 🥹💕 If you’re headed to Japan, add this spot to your list ✨ Already dreaming of our next visit

Loveliest welcoming and excellent cooking ! Really had a lovely time and 10/10 would recommend ! Thank you so much for everything !