Rethatching experience at the Suganami mountain village

Highlights

• Try your hands on “rethatching” a traditional Japanese folk house in Suganami, a peaceful small mountain village on the north of Lake Biwa
• Work together with Japanese carpenters!
• Learn about Japanese craftsmanship and lifestyle of rural Japan
• Walk around the rustic village of Suganami
• English-speaking guide accompanied
• You can customize your tour itinerary flexibly.

Description

If you are interested in Japanese craftsmanship, or in the life and nature of rural Japan, why don’t you try your hand at renovation work of a traditional architecture?

On this tour, we join in the re-thatching operation of a thatched-roofed old Japanese folk house standing in a peaceful small mountain village. A group of local carpenters and architects has been striving to preserve traditional houses and enhance reutilizing those “treasures” in the future. Normally the group works by their own, but on the 7th and 8th of October, they open their working site to visitors, and have a workshop where visitors can involve themselves in this exciting mission!

Suganami is nestled deep in the beautiful, tranquil mountains north of Lake Biwa. It is a small farming village, but known for its high-concentration of old folk houses with steep roof (today many of them are covered with metal panels though). You can get there after one-station ride of Shinkansen and leisurely local train & bus trip.

This is not a ready-made tour. We are happy to tailor the tour itinerary to suit your interests and needs as much as possible. If you would like to, you can stay overnight at a “minshuku” inn in an old folk house at another village in the area, and explore the neighboring countryside. We have a long list of activities in the area. Let us know your ideal plan!

Sample tour plan (1)

Itinerary

JR Kyoto Station (Meeting at 8:20 a.m.)

Shinkansen

JR Maibara Station

Local train & bus

Suganami village
- Rethatching experiene (for several hours)
- Lunch
- Walk around the village

Loca bus & train

JR Maibara Station

Shinkansen

JR Kyoto Station (Return at 7:15 p.m.)

Approximate tour price

1 person : ¥40,000 (¥35,000 if you have a train pass)

2 persons: ¥53,000 (¥44,000)

3 persons: ¥70,000 (¥57,000)

4 persons: ¥88,000 (¥70,000)

5 persons: ¥100,000 (¥80,000)

Tour includes

• English-speaking tour conductor (licensed guide interpreter)
• Rethatching experience
• Fare for all transportation shown in the itinerary
• Lunch (Box lunch of Japanese foods)
• Gloves & helmet
• Insurance
• Local tax

Remarks

• Children aged 12 or lower cannot take the tour for safety reasons.)
• Your clothes will get (very) dirty during the work. Please bring a change of clothes. There is a changing room near the site.
• Please wear shoes for physical activity.