Shobara City is the home of one of the largest granaries in Hiroshima.
Rice cultivation is the main industry here because of the rich water, and the location between 1,200-meter mountains.

It takes about a 40-minute-drive from the center of Shobara City to Mitsugaichi.
Mitsugaichi is an area which still has a beautiful countryside with mountains, and the view from the old times still remains.
And “Choja-ya” is a house-rental accommodation which was opened in the autumn of 2019. A 250-year-old Japanese style house was renovated to create it.

This solid thatched-roof farmer’s house was renovated with respect for its history and taste, and yet made modern so that customers can experience a luxurious stay there.

What a profound and solid atmosphere… Experience a farmer’s house from the Edo period.

When you enter the front door, maybe you can feel the “weight” of 250 years.
The entrance is an earthen floor, which is the old style for Japanese houses.

There is a room called “history room” next to the entrance, and this room was using for keeping cows.
People and cows were living together under the same roof in the past.
We understand how important cows were for a life centered on farming at that time.

An old house where you can stay comfortably and at the same time, feel the taste of an ancient way of life

After you take off your shoes and go into the guestroom, you will be surprised at the space which combines the modern and the old style.
There is a bedroom with 2 double-beds.

The kitchen is “island-style.”
You can sit around the hearth (however, for safety reasons making a fire is prohibited).

Let’s take a bath in a vast space lit only with lantern light.
Relax and take your time.

The night at Choja-ya advances in the silence.

Let’s take a walk with a beautiful view of terraced rice fields.

We recommend taking a walk early in the morning.
Maybe you can see the dreamy morning mist which occurs because of the temperature difference.

Ojizo-san, a guardian deity of children, stood still and became wet with morning dew.
This has been passed down to us from the predecessors who pray for a peaceful life.

Also, it is nice to go cycling with a power-assisted bicycle (rental bicycle) through the countryside in the daytime.
This E-BIKE is a genuine mountain bike style, and it allows you to go up the steep slopes smoothly.
When you go up along the forest road, you will encounter the beautiful view of rice fields spreading over the valley.

The center of Chugoku mountains, “the Kingdom of Iron”

This beautiful scenery was created by the lifestyle of the people who were living here.
The soil around here is rich in iron, which was used to make ironware.
In the Edo period, people often extracted iron sand from the soil.
The soil flowed from the mountain into a water channel to be crushed, and iron sand was extracted by the water flow using the different of specific weight between the soil and the iron sand.
The mountain was scraped down, and the earth and sand were piled up downstream.
Due to this process, a flatland was created in between the mountains, and people cultivated rice there.

You can see some small forests on the flatland in places.
Actually, these places were left as they were, not taking soil or iron from there because of the solidity of the ground or the fact that there were some sacred objects such as mall shrines or graves.
It shows that the flatland was originally a mountain.
Now, maybe you will see this view quite differently compared to anyone who knows nothing about it.

The land of iron and rice, Shobara.
Why don’t you come and stay at “Choja-ya,” with its 250-year-history, and think of the past and the people who lived here?

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Choja-ya, Setouchi Kominka Stays Hiroshima
Address／1528, Mitsugaichi, Hiwa-cho, Shobara-shi, Hiroshima
Phone／0824-72-3385 (Shobara City Tourism Association)
Accommodation system／A rental house (for only 1 group at a time)
Fixed number／6 people
Fee／42,000 yen for the house＋2,000 yen for each person (anyone who is older than junior high school student/ingredients for breakfast included) + tax
【Special price for Setouchi Finder】
33,000 yen for the house +＋2,000 yen for each person (person who is older than junior high school student/ingredients for breakfast included) + tax
※the fee for an elementary school students is 1,000 yen ＋tax
※Cancelation policy: The full accommodation fee must be paid if you would like to cancel the reservationany later than 7 days before your stay.
※Special seasonal prices might be available
※Please check and confirm the access, conditions, facilities, and cautionary notes on the website.
※About the in-house chef’s service, or the restaurants close to the house, please ask the Shobara City Tourism Association.

https://shobara-info.com/1947 (Japanese only)

Setouchi Finder Editorial Department