Spend a night at a countryside homestay in Hokkaido and experience authentic farm food and heartfelt hospitality
▲The owner of Yanagihara Farm (center) believes that modern people rarely gather to enjoy a proper breakfast together.
Reported and photographed by Lin Yuying / Hokkaido
The Japanese TV show "One Night Farm Stay" has become hugely popular, perhaps because many city dwellers, long immersed in noisy and hectic environments, yearn for a moment of peace and the simple warmth of human connection. Located in Nagamatsu Town, Hokkaido, the Yanagihara family leads such a simple and genuine life—they raise their own cattle and grow their own crops, cooking meals directly from what they harvest. Now operating as a homestay, visitors can not only experience authentic farm life and cuisine but also enjoy the small happiness of sharing meals together.
▲%Agent??The farm environment is lush, with fields of various crops (including their own vegetables).
▲%Agent??Mr. ?? is planting, and the fields are rich in produce. (?? is visiting,) the vegetables are fresh.
Farm owners Hiroyuki Yanagihara and his wife Mitsue Yanagihara manage their own farmland and pasture, growing shiitake mushrooms on logs, green asparagus, purple asparagus, wild vegetables, and more—all without pesticides. Visitors can join in the fun of picking fresh produce, which is then cooked on the spot, and everyone can enjoy the farm-style "Khan Grill."
On the grill, there are fresh vegetables, seafood, and meat. The hosts also hand-make soba noodles, all using local Hokkaido ingredients. You can taste the pure flavors of the food—overnight-dried items and shellfish, when grilled with sauce, are simply "irresistibly delicious!"
▲Everyone making their own rice balls together, ready to be grilled.
▲%Agent??The rich natural surroundings of the area.
After dinner, spend the night at the Yanagihara home. The simple rooms are perfect for families with kids or groups of friends to sleep on futons, and many students come for graduation trips. The quiet countryside cottage radiates a reassuring sense of safety, bringing your mind and thoughts back to a pure state, temporarily setting aside worries and simply recharging.
▲%Agent??The house has a safe and cozy atmosphere, just like "home."
▲The simple rooms are ideal for families with children or friends to share futons, and many students come for graduation trips.
The next morning, Mrs. Yanagihara is already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Guests can join in to help and experience the joys of authentic farm life in Hokkaido. The fresh greens are picked early that morning from the fields, the eggs come from nearby farms, and there’s also delicious grilled salmon, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), miso soup, and steaming hot white rice. Fermented soybeans (natto) and pickles are available for guests to enjoy as they like. Mrs. Yanagihara says, “Although getting up early to cook breakfast is tiring, all the ingredients are grown at home without pesticides, so they’re very safe to eat.”
Sunlight streams through the windows into the house, and guests dine directly in the Yanagihara family’s living room, enjoying a hearty and energizing traditional Japanese farm-style breakfast. This is also one of Mr. Yanagihara’s philosophies for running the homestay. He mentions, “Modern people rarely gather together to enjoy a proper breakfast like this.” Recapturing the simple joy of sharing meals together is also the kind of happiness the Yanagihara family wants to share.
▲%Agent??The family had already prepared breakfast in the house.
▲A delicious traditional Japanese breakfast, with all ingredients sourced locally in Hokkaido or grown by the Yanagihara family—making it both appetizing and reassuring to eat.
Currently, the Yanagihara homestay has five rooms. Staying here means more than being a guest—you become their friend. Mr. Yanagihara says that many students who came for graduation trips have returned countless times with family and friends, even sending postcards and photos, which warms their hearts. This kind of heartfelt experience is quite rare in larger Japanese cities or tourist areas, offering a uniquely touching travel style—perfect for travelers wanting to deeply explore authentic farm life in Hokkaido.
▲Many graduation trip students send postcards and photos, and some even return with family and friends over and over. The heartwarming countryside lodging experience leaves a lasting impression.
＊Yanagihara Farm
Address: 0 069-1452 Nagamatsu Town, Yubari District, Hokkaido, 2nd South, Line 2 East (Phone: 0123-88-4428)
Website:http://farm-yanagi.com/
Price: 8,000 JPY per person for one night with two meals (tax excluded, approximately 8,640 JPY after tax)
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