Standing quietly along the banks of the Shinano River, the 150-year-old Old-Residence-Turned-Lodge, Yukinoya, is a unique location that welcomes just one group per day, inviting its guests to immerse themselves in the wisdom of living in harmony with nature in the snow country. A recommended experience to combine with your stay is hiking through terraced rice paddies renowned as some of the finest landscapes in Japan. After climbing a gentle hill, you’ll be greeted with a sweeping panoramic view of layer upon layer of terraced paddies woven into the satoyama scenery. In Tokamachi, a region characterized by heavy snowfall, snowmelt is an essential source of agricultural water, nourishing the terraced rice paddies and sustaining the area’s history and culture for generations. As you hike, enjoy a rare chance to witness the region’s natural cycles—a process characteristic of satoyama where melting snow eventually becomes the water that nourishes the rice.

At ryugon—a hotel composed of former residences—you can try your hand at making local dishes at their rustic doma (earthen floor space). Together with a local cooking expert, you’ll prepare rice on a traditional kamado stove and make kenchin-jiru (vegetable soup) and miso soup using sweet, locally grown vegetables. Time flows at a gentle pace as your host teaches you about mountain vegetable dishes, pickles and other preservation techniques unique to the snow country, daily life and the changing seasons. Through local cuisine, you’ll discover the charm of rural snow country life, the warmth of its people, and the satoyama culture that has long coexisted with nature—making for a truly enriching experience.

MAHORA is an experiential accommodation facility where you can immerse yourself in satoyama life in Myoko. You can try soba-making using Kosoba, a rare, small-grain, indigenous variety of buckwheat cultivated in Myoko’s lush natural environment. Grown in the abundant snowmelt and fertile soil at the foot of Mount Myoko, Kosoba is prized for its deep aroma and robust flavor. With the direct guidance of the owner of Kosobatei, a restaurant featured in a renowned French guidebook, the workshop is structured so even beginners can rest assured. You can also take part in making a pot stand using the traditional Japanese winter craft of straw weaving. Experience the full charm of satoyama at MAHORA and enjoy a refreshing escape from the everyday.

Tsubame-Sanjo developed as a town of artisans, where the entire community has long functioned like a single workshop, producing tools essential for everyday life. In this setting, Tsubame-Sanjo KRaft Tour offers hands-on experiences that let you encounter the traditional skills of the artisans firsthand. By taking part in the creative process yourself, you can gain a deeper appreciation of the history, background, and refined techniques embodied in each handcrafted piece. The workshops offer the opportunity to try making items such as a frying pan or a kitchen knife—and after completion, you can even put your creation to use. Cycle through the town, feeling the breeze from the Shinano River, then join one of Tsubame-Sanjo’s workshops to create your own one-of-a-kind piece.

Snow Satoyama Sake Brewery is a small craft sake brewery in Niigata that carries on the traditions of satoyama and the beauty of the four seasons. Here, you can experience Japanese sake brewing rooted in the unique climate and landscape of snow country satoyama. Sake is brewed using rice grown in Niigata—a land blessed by snow and water—combined with snowmelt and koji (rice malt), which is carefully nurtured by the warmth of the brewers’ hands. In each cup, ingredients born from the land at Tokamachi and the skills of its people come together in harmony, embodying the living cycle of satoyama culture. This unique experience connects you to the heritage of satoyama, where humans and nature have walked hand in hand, and offers a glimpse into a future that honors this legacy. Why not share a cup nurtured by the snow, the rice, and the passage of time in the satoyama with someone special?