Three accommodations to experience the sustainability of Japan

*This article contains affiliate links.

Sustainable tourism has been getting more attention in recent years. It includes ecotourism, in which local communities work together to convey the unique charms of their region to tourists, leading to the preservation of their culture and nature, and green tourism, a stay-and-go type of leisure activity in rural areas rich in greenery, where visitors can enjoy nature, culture, and interaction with the people.

Some accommodations offer sustainable experiences also in Japan, which are becoming increasingly popular.

NIPPONIA

 

この投稿をInstagramで見る

 

NIPPONIA(@nipponia.jp)がシェアした投稿

NIPPONIA is a lodging facility where you can experience the disappearing original landscape of Japan. NIPPONIA revitalizes and provides local food and lifestyle culture from vacant old private homes and cultural assets.

For example, in Nara Prefecture, they operate an inn renovated from the oldest soy sauce warehouse. The warehouse has such a long history, including a record of having offered soy sauce to the royal family before World War II, and they still preserve the room used for entertaining the royal family, which gives visitors a sense of history.

Additionally, they resumed brewing soy sauce at the same time as the opening of the accommodation, which had been discontinued for 70 years, so visitors could immerse themselves in the culture of brewing using the five senses, for instance, the smell of yeast.

Also, NIPPONIA aims to create sustainable endogenous industries with local characteristics to connect the region for the next hundred years. Hence lodging is run entirely by locals, and locals prepare meals with local ingredients, so visitors can contribute to the industrial revival of the area and support the economy while actually interacting with the locals.

There are 31 lodging locations throughout Japan so far, and the number of them is increasing. Why don’t you find the perfect accommodation for you among the inns with different histories?

HOTEL WHY

Kamikatsu-cho, Tokushima Prefecture, was the first municipality in Japan to declare itself a “zero-waste” municipality. HOTEL WHY is located in the Kamikatsu Zero-Waste Center WHY, the town’s only waste collection facility.

HOTEL WHY was created based on the concept of “learning from waste,” while visitors can relax in the magnificent nature, they also can experience the circulation of stuff through a tour of the 45 types of waste collection facilities with a recycling rate of 80%, a second-hand store where they can acquire items no longer needed from locals, and sorting their own garbage after their stay.

The hotel also includes many sustainable elements in its stay, such as a self-cutting system for additive-free soap and coffee made with beans from farms that are committed to sustainability.

From an underpopulated town with a population of less than 1,600, Kamikatsu town has come to attract worldwide attention as a zero-waste town. You will discover the reason through your stay in Kamikatsu town.

KURKKUFIELDS

 

この投稿をInstagramで見る

 

KURKKU FIELDS(クルックフィールズ)(@kurkkufields)がシェアした投稿

KURKKUFIELDS is located in the mountains of Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, an hour and a half from Tokyo.

In addition to lodging facilities, there is a recycling-oriented organic farm, a dairy farm where animals live freely, and restaurants and stores that serve them. Art and play parks are scattered throughout the natural surroundings, making it a fun place for adults and children.

COCOON, located in KURKKUFIELDS, is a villa opened as a place not only to receive hospitality but also experiencing to create a lifestyle by themselves. The facility also features a Finnish sauna and a store where guests can purchase craft beers and natural wines.

Furthermore, the facility’s energy, soil, and water are run by a circular system created with the advice of permaculture designers, and you will be able to see how it works throughout your stay.

Changing forms of tourism in step with the times

Previously, accommodations were considered places only to rest after returning tired from sightseeing. These days, on the other hand, as the nature of travel has diversified, hotels come to the place not only for sleeping but also for developing experiential stays that are in line with the needs of tourists. It is expected to appear more and more accommodations, including experiences that include groundbreaking initiatives that promote sustainability.

If you would like to stay in the above accomodations, here are the links: