Kajiya Iya Romantei (Iya Valley)

Located on the hillside overlooking Kyojo, this homestay is one of the most interesting places in the valley. The main building is a traditional wood house uniquely and beautifully restored and run by a quirky but very welcoming man who loves to talk about (in Japanese) his vast collection of antiques, tell stories of the valley life, and explain whatever local culinary treat he is cooking up for the evening (however he will do his best to speak in his very basic English as well). Meals are cooked over the large ''''irori'''' (floor hearth) around which drinks are also drunk well into the night. He has also built a rather neat outdoor/indoor bath house with valley views and an adjoining chill-out balcony, for which it should be noted that this is one of the only places in town (or even most of Japan) where one can take a traditional ''''goemonburo'''' bath from days gone by, which is essentially a large iron pot heated from below by wood fire. Prices run at ¥10,000 per person including meals, but bring your own alcohol if desired. Only one set of guests (up to 6) stay at a time.