Gunma Kayabuki-no-sato: Station Lunch Box

We finally got to the small Japanese cafeteria for lunch!

Inn stuff told us we can use this cafeteria to eat Station lunch box!
So, nice!

Here's inside of the cafeteria.

Very Japanese Traditional style!

This is called "Irori" - boiling water here.

This my son's "Shinkansen lunch box".

This is my "Torimeshi" - Chicken rice.

This is also like a museum.

This is a sort of ticket to exchange with room key.

This is called "Shukuhaku-tegata", which means pass for accomodation.

Old time in Japan, the pass called "Tsukou-Tegata" (traveling pass) is used to go to the other area. Just like a passport now.

Gunma Kayabuki-no-sato Hatago - Inside the village

After 30min-ride in the taxi, finally we arrived at the inn!

Inn is located at the top of the mountain

When we entered the entrance, it was like a nostalgic Japanese old village.

Those things hanging down are dry persimmons.    

It's quite rare to see those already in city area of Japan, so I really felt nostalgic!

Here's another nostalgic item - old style postbox!

This is a village map.

They gathered these old houses in this area.

They are selling organic vegetables too.

Big pumpkin!

Can be used for halloween party :D

Even these fire engines are old style.

This is Soba noodle restaurant and the only restaurant in this village.

This is a toilet.

We call toilet as "toire" like English pronunciation these days, but they are using the word "Ookawaya" (Kawaya) like we used to call it ancient time ago (at least a few decades ago even before I was born).

Japanese garden on the way to the inn house.

Beautiful nostalgic scenery of old Japanese houses.

They were displaying old "drawers" in one of the small old style Japanese house.

This is the biggest oven in Japan - according to the signboard.

"Trash" box in old writing - "Gomibako".

My son was so exited to see the show remaining on the ground.

It's his first time to see the real "snow".

Gunma Kayabuki-no-sato Hatago - Location

The traditional inn, Hatago, is located in the mountain area in Gunma.
Nearest station is "Nakanojo Station".

We took JR express train from Ueno to get there.
It takes about 2 hours.

From the train window

Finally we arrived at Nakanojo Station, and there was...NOTHING!
No shops around there...
I only saw one Soba restaurant but we actually bought Ekiben so no need to go there...

Nakanojo Station

Actually to get to the inn, it'll take another 30 minutes.


Inn has a shuttle bus service but they operate twice a day only and the timing is not right for the train we took..
(Tour agency website didn't mention that! But Inn website does...)
From Inn website:

[Access Info]

Shuttle Service

**Prior reservation required. Please contact JAPANiCAN Customer Service by phone or email support_japanican@gmt.jtb.jp for more details. Notify us that you will be using the bus when you are making yours reservation if you will be arriving by train.

Nakonojo Station ⇔ Hotel

To hotel from station: Departs at around 2:25PM, and around 5:10PM

To station from hotel: Departs at around 10:20AM, and around 12:50PM

According to the inn staff, it's easy to catch a taxi from the station but...no taxi stand...?

We looked around and found something like taxi stand a little further from station, so we walked there...

It was a very small taxi stand and nobody's there - no staffs, no passengers.
After waited 10-15 minutes, we called the number but no answer...
There was another taxi stand in front which looked more like...charter taxi (which means more expensive!).

When we are about to go there, one taxi came (yay!).

According to the driver, there was an election coming soon, so many candidates are blocking the road and many taxies are stuck.

In any case, we were able to head to the inn!

From taxi window