Komatsu: Where Farmers and Artisans Live in Harmony with Nature

With direct flights from Tokyo to Komatsu Airport and the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, it is now easier than ever before to visit Ishikawa Prefecture. And yet, few travelers venture beyond the region’s popular destinations like Kanazawa to explore more rural areas where local traditions and values still thrive. Located just a short drive south from central Komatsu, the small town of Takigahara is one such special place, where local people have lived in harmony with nature on farms amidst forested hills for countless generations.

A Deep Reverence for the Land and All It Provides

While undeniably one of Japan’s remoter regions, Hokuriku maintained vital trade links throughout much of its history with Tohoku in the north and Kansai in the south via the Kitamaebune ships that traveled the Japan Sea coast. Alongside agriculture, artisanal manufacturing emerged to produce items such as lacquerware, using materials derived from the land and methods that were passed down through the generations.

Quarries arose to make use of abundant high-quality stone near the present-day city of Komatsu, leading to the creation of stone storehouses, a relative rarity in Japan. For centuries, local people have made use of the sap of urushi trees as a naturally-occurring lacquer as well as high-quality wood found throughout the region’s forests to produce beautiful lacquerware. Notable styles in the region include Wajima, Yamanaka, and Echizen lacquerware.

A Stay with a Sense of Place

Takigahara Craft & Stay: the Perfect Place to Relax, Recharge, and Relearn

You will be staying at Takigahara Craft & Stay, a former farmhouse built over a century ago. In recent years, the property has been renovated to provide visitors with an ideal spot to relax and recharge away from the rigors of city life. At the same time, Takigahara Craft & Stay also offers opportunities to experience local culture by arranging workshops with local artisans and farmers. Working in collaboration with neighboring Takigahara Farm, the accommodation strives to provide meals that follow a sustainable farm-to-table ethos with an emphasis on ingredients that showcase the best of each season.

Access to the facility is convenient, with Wabunka providing special private car service to and from Komatsu Airport, JR Kagaonsen Station, or JR Komatsu Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen).

When staying at Takigahara Craft & Stay, visitors can choose from two different types of accommodation. One of these two facilities, Takigahara House is a whole building that you can book for the ultimate private stay. The other option, simply called Craft & Stay, is a combined hostel and guest house that offers dormitories as well as private guest rooms.

Meals are served on-site at the Takigahara Cafe. Wabunka customers can also enjoy a special extended 11:00 AM check-out time. Bicycles can be rented to explore the surrounding countryside (depending on availability). English-speaking staff are available on site to assist guests.

Many visitors enjoy Takigahara Craft & Stay so much that they end up eager to extend their stay. For a truly relaxing stay and a more meaningful experience, we highly recommend booking multiple nights.

Make Yourself at Home Amidst Traditional Architecture and Modern Decor

When you arrive at Takigahara Craft & Stay, you will feel less like you have come to a hotel or ryokan and more like you have stepped into a tiny, picturesque village. While the exteriors of the buildings retain a rustic air that speaks to the history and tradition of the area, the interiors have been fitted with stylish modern furniture and decorated with contemporary art, creating the sense that this community is also ever-evolving. The Takigahara Cafe is located in a separate building alongside the two main accommodation facilities.

Rejuvenate in a Private Sauna and Stone Bath with Views of Fields and Forests

One of the most unique features of Takigahara Craft & Stay is a free-standing sauna that was constructed using local wood and stone. Gaze out on soothing views of the surrounding fields and forested hills as your body warms and your mind clears itself of distractions. The building also possesses an outdoor stone bath and cold plunge pool on a terrace that faces Mount Kurakake. In the warmer months, you can even cool down in the stream that runs through the property, immersing yourself in fresh spring water that flows down from the surrounding mountains.

Pre-Selected Rooms

Private Villa

Built over 80 years ago, this stone storehouse is typical of rural Hokuriku architecture but quite rare elsewhere in Japan. The building has been thoughtfully renovated to preserve a sense of history and provide unforgettable private stays for guests. The ground floor has a kitchen, dining area, and living space, as well as a large bathroom where you can relax as long as you want in the tub, while the upper floor is a bedroom that can sleep up to four people.

Other Rooms

Private guest room

The other accommodation building, Craft & Stay, also has a private guest room on its second floor with one queen-sized bed and one bunk bed. Large windows brighten the room and provide views of surrounding buildings and trees.

*Through Wabunka, you can reserve either the Takigahara House or a private room at Craft & Stay.

*Please note that room assignments may be subject to change based on availability. If a change is necessary, the rate may vary, and we will notify you of the details beforehand.

Moments at the Table

Savor Delicious Farm-to-Table Meals that Celebrate the Bounty of the Region

All meals at Takigahara Craft & Stay are served at the stylish on-site Takigahara Cafe, which welcomes guests into seats at a long shared wooden table. The emphasis here is on seasonal ingredients intimately connected to the land of the surrounding region, sourced from local farmers, fishermen, and hunters who balance flavor and freshness with health and sustainability. When you check in, you can inform the accommodation whether you want to share the table with other guests or dine privately.

There are two chefs currently working at Takigahara Craft & Stay, one who makes Asian cuisine using local ingredients for lunches and another who prepares traditional French-based course meals for dinner.

*Dinner and breakfast menus change seasonally.

*Drinks are not included in the experience fee. Please make the payment separately on the day at the venue.

*Please note that you may be seated with other guests during meals at the accommodation.

Breakfast

Breakfast at Takigahara Craft & Stay is balanced and nutritious, featuring homegrown vegetables from Takigahara Farm and eggs from their free-range chickens. Some items on the menu may include fresh-baked bread, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and eggs from Takigahara Farm’s free-range chickens, as well as orange juice and coffee. Japanese-style breakfasts may include such dishes as clay pot rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and seasonal vegetables.

Dinner

Dinner at Takigahara Craft & Stay is a multi-course meal featuring local seasonal ingredients prepared using culinary techniques and flavors from Japan and other parts of the world. There is a special emphasis on fresh seafood, as well as wild game meat such as boar and venison. If you wish, you can also order dessert and natural wine. Food is served on exquisite Kutani ware ceramics and Echizen lacquerware.

Relax over an Evening Drink at the On-site Bar in a Renovated Storehouse

Moss Bar is the facility’s on-site bar and lounge, perfect for enjoying a quiet drink or two after dinner. Located inside an old storehouse that has been renovated into a warm, welcoming space, the bar has a broad selection composed of natural wines from around the world as well Hokuriku sake and Japanese whiskey. You can drink at the counter or head up to the lounge on the second floor to relax and listen to a collection of vinyl records.

*Moss Bar can be pre-booked through Wabunka when making your reservation. There is no cover charge; please simply pay for your drinks on site.

Deepen Your Connection to the Region

Learn About Hokuriku Lacquerware from a Master Artisan (Additional Option)

The abundant forests of Hokuriku have long provided for its people, from lumber for their homes to kindling for their fires to raw materials from which to craft the daily necessities of life. For countless generations, local artisans have shaped natural wood into bowls and utensils that are not only practical household items but genuine works of art. In places such as Wajima, Yamanaka, and Echizen, they became adept at the making of lacquerware, which involves applying layers of a natural tree sap called urushi to create an attractive and durable finish.

To better appreciate this unique local woodworking tradition firsthand, you will work alongside a master artisan on site at Takigahara Craft & Stay, accompanied by an interpreter. You will experience the lacquerware production process from woodworking to lacquering and finishing, creating a bowl (approximately 13 cm in diameter) that will be shipped to you at a later date.

An Authentic Experience Making Hokuriku Lacquerware from Natural Wood (Additional Option)

Your expert instructors for this private experience will begin with a brief explanation of the origins of lacquerware in Hokuriku, including the art form’s many centuries of history in the region. You will then move on to try your hand at shaping wood using a horizontal lathe, a unique machine that was once operated manually but is now powered by electricity.

This woodworking portion of the experience lasts about 30 minutes per person*, giving you the chance to really spend some time working at the lathe. There is no need to be concerned if you are a beginner when it comes to woodworking. Your instructors will provide clear guidance and a helping hand to show you how to hold the chisel just right against the spinning wood to create the desired shape.

*Because the required time is 30 minutes per person, the total length of this experience may vary

As an exclusive extra only available to Wabunka customers, you will also have the unique opportunity to apply a layer of lacquer to the wooden bowl you have created.* Your instructor will explain how to do this in a way that accentuates the natural grain of the wood and demonstrate how to apply the lacquer using a special spatula and brush.** Because lacquerware requires several coats between periods of drying, your bowl cannot be taken home with you on the day, but rest assured that it will be shipped to you at a later date as a wonderful memento of your time in Hokuriku.***

*Protective gloves will be provided for you to use during lacquer application.

**This part of the experience takes about 15 minutes.

***It will take approximately one to two months until your bowl can be shipped.

To capture this special woodworking and lacquerware experience in images that you will treasure forever, we highly recommend selecting Wabunka’s Photo Service as an additional option, in which a professional photographer will accompany you throughout the experience (additional fees apply).

Lunch can also be arranged for you at Takigahara Cafe after your experience (additional option; please reserve through Wabunka and pay on-site).

A Warm Welcome in Komatsu, No Matter What Time of Year

Many travelers choose to visit Hokuriku in late spring when the cherry blossoms bloom or fall when the leaves blaze red, orange, and yellow. But the truth of the matter is that places like Takigahara are beautiful all-year round, including in the winter months when deep snow covers the land in a soft white blanket.

Whenever you visit, we hope that this Wabunka plan gives you the chance to slow down and experience more of what this unique part of Japan has to offer. With a night at Takigahara Craft & Stay and this hands-on woodworking workshop, you can begin to appreciate the deep connections that people in this rural region have formed to the land that has sustained them for centuries.