Nagaoka / NiigataExperience Rural Japan Deep in the Countryside of Nagaoka, Niigata

UNE was founded in 2011 to provide support to people with disabilities. It has since grown into a diverse community, and become a meeting place for the people of Ichinokai. Recently, it has also begun hosting travelers and organizing activities that allow visitors to experience rural Japanese culture.

The highlight for international travelers is the opportunity UNEHAUS provides to connect with the community. Locals may not speak English, but with the right amount of enthusiasm and help from a smartphone, the language barrier disappears, allowing you to touch a side of Japan few have the chance to experience.

It all begins with UNE-gohan, the lunch UNEHAUS serves on weekdays for employees and anyone else looking for good food and social connection. Have a seat and tuck in: Heartfelt smiles and amiable conversation will have you feeling at home in no time!

The menu changes daily, with simmered vegetables and konnyaku, fish, tofu and tempura making regular appearances. A warm welcome is served every day.

As rice is the primary ingredient of sake, it’s no surprise that Niigata, a major rice-growing region, is home to numerous sake breweries. The most basic of Japanese sake is a homebrew called doburoku, but don’t expect to find it in many liquor cabinets: laws regulating its brewing are so strict, very few people can acquire a license.

UNEHAUS is licensed—and award-winning, having received an award of excellence at the 13th National Doburoku Contest in 2019 for its Settsuchu Ichinokai (steamed rice) brand. It offers visitors the rare chance to learn about the process and sample several varieties.

Doburoku is unfiltered, and an unshaken bottle is two-toned: white sediment at the bottom, clear alcohol at the top. Enjoy a taste of the clear doburoku before comparing it to the shaken brew. You’ll find slight differences in sweetness and texture.

After a soak in a local hot spring and a home-cooked supper at UNEHAUS, it’s time to retire to your lodgings for the night. UNEHAUS has room for small groups at its main Ichinokai house, but larger groups stay at KS☆HAUS, located approximately four kilometers away.

KS☆HAUS is equipped with a kitchen and a living room area complete with Laserdisc player and massage chair. A short walk away, towering conifers and ancient stone statues line a cobbled path up to the mossy temple grounds of Sogenji Temple.

One of the great joys of spending time in tight-knit communities is the chance for the unexpected. Perhaps you’ll be treated to a matcha tasting; perhaps you’ll be gifted wild fruit from the bush—you never know what might happen at UNEHAUS.

The breakfast option at UNEHAUS and KS☆HAUS involves a trip into the hills. Enjoy a meal of local specialties served alongside views of terraced fields and endless forest.

A relaxing herbal brew, kuro-moji tea can be made with both the fresh and dried leaves and twigs of kuro-moji (Lindera umbellata). The shrub grows in the forested areas around UNEHAUS’s rice paddies, and a morning spent foraging in the bush is a rewarding way to enjoy the countryside’s abundant nature.

As you snip thin branches, you’ll notice a slightly medicinal aroma wafting from the cuttings. The same scent is produced when the leaves and stems are brewed as tea. Not surprisingly given its fragrant nature, kuro-moji can also be made into an aromatherapy spray, which UNEHAUS produces and sells.

Rare is the tour that sees you welcomed into a private home, but that’s exactly what UNEHAUS is able to offer thanks to its deep community ties. Enjoy the feel of a traditional house while soaking up the chatter between long-time village friends. The stories told provide an extraordinary window into rural life in Japan.

After bidding farewell to UNEHAUS and the villagers of Ichinokai, it’s time to head back to Nagaoka Station for a final bit of fun: sampling sake at Ponshu:kan. The tasting room, part of a larger shop selling local specialties, is located on the second floor of the Nagaoka Station building.

Simply purchase tokens and serve yourself samples from the sake selections. Most varieties cost a single token, though premium selections cost more.