Kashiwaya Inn — Dive into the local, join into the history.

Book direct

No middleman, just us.

Book direct, skip the platforms — and deal with real people, not a front desk. We host you ourselves, from the first message to the last morning. Two rooms in one kominka; pick the one that suits you.

1 Book your room

Japanese-Style Room

1st historic floor

Superior Family Room

2nd modern floor

Staying with us? Reserve your meals in step 2 below — and please keep your room booking confirmation number handy, you'll need it when you order.

2 Add your meals

Dinner & breakfast

Rooms and meals are booked separately. Once your room is set above, reserve your meals here — a traditional nabe for dinner, ochazuke for breakfast, cooked around any dietary needs.

Reserve meals

Please order at least 3 days before your stay.
Use the same email address and name you used for your room booking.
For multi-night stays, please place a separate order for each night.

Questions? Message us on WhatsApp →

Chapter 01 · The House

Built in 1885 in the samurai inn style.

Kashiwaya sits in Midono-juku — the 41st post town on the Nakasendo, right after Magome and Tsumago. The house was built in the same form as the honjin, the official inns where samurai travellers stayed when this road carried them between Edo and Kyoto.

Fires through the centuries took many of the old houses, but a few kominka remain, still lived in. Kashiwaya is one of them. We're 15 minutes on foot from Nagiso Station.

Midono-juku · 三留野宿 · the 41st post town on the Nakasendo

Chapter 02 · The Bikes

Free e-bikes for guests, 16:00 — 09:00.

Our house fat-tire e-bikes are free for guests to use in the evenings and mornings — from 16:00 on your check-in day until 09:00 on your check-out day. Roll over to the konbini, find a restaurant in the valley, ride to the nearby temples and shrines, or out to Momosuke Bridge before breakfast.

Want a bike during the day too? Daytime use (10:00 — 15:00) is available as a rental at ¥4,000 per bike per day.

Two fat-tire e-bikes · helmet and lock included · just ring the bell or message us on WhatsApp before you ride.

Chapter 03 · The Food

What a Japanese family eats on a special day.

Not the menu you find in a Japanese restaurant. The food a family in this valley would put on the table for a celebration — a traditional nabe at dinner, ochazuke at breakfast. Quiet, seasonal, careful.

Wagyu to vegan, gluten-free if you need it — tell us when you book and we'll cook around you.

Dinner: traditional nabe · Breakfast: ochazuke.

Chapter 04 · The Drink

Three craft beers, brewed only for us.

A brewery run by the owner's family makes three beers exclusively for Kashiwaya — you won't find them anywhere else. Alongside them, a small selection of local sake and wine, hand-picked by the master.

Three exclusive craft beers · curated local sake and wine.

The people

The hands behind the house.

Four people, one house — keeping it lived-in across four generations.

Owner

Shu Ichikawa

Fourth-generation owner of Kashiwaya, founded by the Ichikawa family.

He has kept the house alive while moving between overseas, Tokyo, and Nagiso — protecting it through changing times.

Craft Beer Creator

Kaku Ichikawa

Eldest son of Shu Ichikawa.

Based in Tokyo, he runs a hair salon and a brewery, and developed three Kashiwaya-exclusive beers.

Renovator

Hiroshi Kumagai

Moved from Tokyo in 2015 and renovated three kominka in Nagiso — one of them is Kashiwaya.

He now runs “Yui-an,” an iconic kominka hostel that has become a symbol of Nagiso.

Master

Yasuhiro Fukuta

The current operator of Kashiwaya.

After visiting Nagiso many times from Nagoya, he began a dual-base life and apprenticed under Hiroshi Kumagai while working two jobs.

Inspired by a year living in West Virginia, USA, his mission is to recreate that deep “dive into the local” experience here in Nagiso.

Practicalities

A few good things to know.

How do I get there?

Nagiso Station on the JR Chuo line, then 15 minutes on foot to Kashiwaya in Midono-juku (Nagiso 3993). If you need a ride, the manager will help you arrange a taxi — just tell us in advance.

I have a dietary restriction (vegan, gluten-free, etc.).

Tell us when you book on our site, or send us a WhatsApp message. We cook around your needs — wagyu through to vegan and gluten-free.

How do I reserve dinner and breakfast?

Meals are booked separately from your room, through the “Add your meals” link in the booking section. Use the same email and name as your room booking, and add your room booking date(s) and any dietary restrictions in the notes field when you order. Meal orders are accepted up to 3 days before your stay, so please reserve in advance.

Can I cancel a meal order?

Yes — cancellation is free with a full refund up to 4 days before your stay. From 3 days before onward, meal orders are non-refundable, as the meals are already being prepared. To cancel, please message us on WhatsApp.

Can I just use the e-bike during my stay?

If you're staying with us, yes — free, from 16:00 on your check-in day until 09:00 on your check-out day. Ring the bell at the desk or message us on WhatsApp before you ride.

What about during the day?

During the day the bikes are used for guided tours and rentals by Beyond Nakasendo Cycling. Daytime use is ¥4,000 per bike per day (10:00 — 15:00). If you want a rental or a guided ride before check-in or after check-out, book through their site.

Dive into the local, join into the history.