Get Lost in Rural Japan, No Translation Necessary

When foreign tourists think about Japan, an image that often springs to mind is that of the Bill MURRAY character in the movie "Lost in Translation" wearily floating through Tokyo, bewildered by Japan and Japanese people. This is how many outsiders perceive Japan.

The non-profit Okayama International Villa Group, located in the center of West Japan, is working hard to change that perception. Billed as "Japan's only country-style inns for international exchange," the Okayama International Villas are reserved for the exclusive use of non-Japanese (and their Japanese guests). Clustered throughout Okayama's scenic prefecture, the "villas" were built in the late 1980s and are available for rent, on a nightly basis, in country and coastal locations.

The villas are not hotels, but houses shared in a manner familiar to any backpacker who has stayed in a youth hostel. The management supplies linens, kitchen equipment, a washer-dryer and other basics. Guests do the rest, in cooperation with other fellow guests. The rates, too, are very hostel-like: about 2,500 yen per person per night for foreign guests, or 3,000 yen for Japanese who are accompanied by a foreign guest. The price is subsidized below actual cost to "make the opportunity available to as many individuals as possible," says KAMEYAMA Kaori, a Villa Group coordinator.

"The main purpose is international exchange between foreign persons and Japanese," Kameyama says, "and also for foreigners to experience the traditional way of life in Japan." Currently, about 80 percent of guests are non-Japanese, she says.

Visitors have five villa options to choose from, each with its own unique characteristics. Hattoji, tucked deep in the mountains, features traditional kayabuki thatched-roof farmhouses. Fukiya is a historical village nestled up against a hillside of pine. At Takebe, guests have free use of nearby onsen. Ushimando is close to the beach and popular during the summer, and Shiraishi Island is typically booked months in advance, Kameyama says.

The ultimate getaway, guests arrive to Shiraishi island by ferry, and drop their bags in a modern wood and concrete beach house overlooking the shore and sea beyond. There is no television, no telephones, and no Internet access. "The view of the Seto Inland Sea, from the living room, the covered patio, or from the deck outside is spectacular," says Kameyama.

For those travelers who would rather savor Japan's rural charms and make friends than get lost in the big cities, the Okayama International Villas might be just the ticket.

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