Ancient stoneworks and quarries have been discovered in the Komatsu region that produced materials that were used locally and also sent to other parts of Japan. Local gemstones and jewelry have been found in tombs from the Kofun period (250-538) as well as larger stones used in the construction of temples and castles, a legacy of artistry and industry that has been officially recognized by Japan Heritage and endures to this day. Visiting the village of Kanagaso will offer you a glimpse into the artisanal traditions of this region, where people have long made the most of the wealth of the land and the waters that flow through it.

With the nearby mountains receiving heavy snowfall in the winter, the region around Komatsu is the beneficiary of the pure meltwater that flows through its rivers and streams and feeds its springs each year. Not only does this superior water help local farmers produce superb agricultural crops such as Hotarumai Koshihikari rice, but it also promotes the growth of mountain vegetables and mushrooms that have been harvested here by villagers since prehistoric times. The local forests also abound in delicious wild game including birds, deer, and wild boar.

For a taste of the wonders that the local passion for agriculture and nature can produce, you will visit the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute in Kanagaso. This facility was founded in 2017 to preserve the knowledge and continue the legacy of legendary sake brewer Noguchi Naohiko, who has devoted his life to brewing award-winning sake from the superb local rice crop and pure underground spring water that flows down through the village from Mt. Hakusan.

Your visit to the institute will start in the gallery, which showcases precious photographs, personal items and tools from Noguchi’s seven decades in the sake business. You can see the sake brewing room through a window in the gallery and may be able to view the sake brewing process up close during the winter brewing season (November to March). After your gallery visit, there will be a special sake tasting session in Touan, the facility’s elegant tasting room that looks out onto an idyllic scene of rice fields and forest. Along with five different varieties of sake including the Limited Edition NOGUCHI NAOHIKO 01, you will be served Yawaragi-mizu, the water used here for sake preparation, as well as a selection of perfectly-paired appetizers made using produce from across the Hokuriku region.

Auberge Eaufeu was constructed on the grounds of a former local elementary school in Kanagaso, with the choice made to utilize the school building itself rather than razing it to erect a new building. While extensive renovations have been carried out inside the building to transform it into a stylish and comfortable place to stay, the exterior is very much preserved in its original form. Even for those who never attended school in Japan, it is a scene that evokes a palpable sense of local nostalgia and community.

Rooms in Auberge Eaufeu offer all the modern conveniences of a hotel with stylish furnishings and hardwood floors as well as large comfortable beds. Charming touches from their past as school classrooms remain, however, with some rooms providing views out over the former schoolyard and some retaining white boards (where blackboards used to be) and wooden desks. The thriving creativity of such a place also lives through the artwork that adorns the walls of Auberge Eaufeu, painted by celebrated artist Ogawa Kiichiro during a residency at the auberge. Surrounded by art, nature, and memories of childhood, a stay at Auberge Eaufeu will no doubt leave you feeling similarly inspired.

The meals at Auberge Eaufeu are enough on their own to make it a prime destination for those who appreciate unique gourmet cuisine. Meals at the auberge are conceived and created by master chef Shota Itoi, the youngest-ever winner of the Grand Prize at the prestigious annual RED U-35 competition. Trained in the delicacies of French cuisine, Itoi has also embraced the wealth of local produce and wild ingredients at his fingertips in Hokuriku, combining what he knows and what he finds into truly wondrous dishes.

While much of the food served at Auberge Eaufeu is sourced from the local region, chef Itoi has taken this one step further, venturing out into the surrounding fields and hills himself to search for prime ingredients. The treasures that nature offers him are seasonal, with wild vegetables and herbs in springtime, crayfish from the river in summer, and mushrooms amidst the falling red leaves in autumn. Wild game like boar, deer, and ducks provide meat. Combined with local farm produce, this great bounty allows chef Itoi the freedom to create such culinary masterpieces as the signature Eaufeu maki roll.

Your food will be enjoyed at Auberge Eaufeu’s elegant modern restaurant with spectacular views of the outdoors along with art from Ogawa on the walls. If you stop and look really hard for a moment, however, the ethereal essence of a school dining hall remains, drifting intriguingly beneath the surface.

Breakfast can be enjoyed either at the auberge restaurant or as a picnic on the roof, in the schoolyard, or at another location of your choosing.

Just as the land of the Komatsu region is inseparable from the water that flows through it, gourmet meals derived from the bounty of the land go best with a fine sake. To help you best appreciate this marriage of complementary flavors, Auberge Eaufeu offers its guests sake pairings from the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute that perfectly complement the delicious dishes of Itoi’s haute cuisine.

Some of the dishes served at dinner will be delivered to you on Kutani ware ceramics, born out of the clay of the Komatsu region and the creativity of generations of local craftspeople. There can be no more authentic Komatsu experience than to use these fine ceramic plates and vessels as you dine on meat and vegetables gathered from the land around you, sipping sake brewed from the region’s rice and pure water.

A visit to this little-known valley in Ishikawa Prefecture offers visitors the chance to understand the Hokuriku region on a deeper level beyond the larger towns and cities, delving deep into the creativity inspired by the countryside. From a master brewer’s passion for sake and a master chef’s love of searching for wild ingredients to an artist’s paintings inspired by the nostalgic setting of a former rural elementary school, there is something very special about this place.

During this Wabunka experience, slow down and enjoy the relaxed pace of life in the small town of Kanagaso as you explore the local area, tour the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, and savor the fine cuisine and unique surroundings at Auberge Eaufeu.