3-minute walk from Lohas Shimachi Onsen] Includes hot spring ticket/ Uninhabited house for rent/ Original Japanese landscape of satoyama.

[Memory Gateway Hotel 101 Katayama-tei | Former Katayama Residence]
A "inn of memories" where you can rent out an entire traditional Japanese house in Tokuchi, Yamaguchi.

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■ There are places that make you want to say, “I’m home.”

When you gently open the sliding door at the entrance, the scent of old wood tickles your nose.
Looking up, you see the thick beams—revealed when the ceiling was removed—that have stood for over 60 years, stretching majestically across the space.
The chandelier that once illuminated this house for decades still glows softly.
On the wall, a painting that someone once cherished hangs quietly.
The entrance hall is adorned with handmade washi paper, a tradition passed down in this region of Tokuchi.

This was once someone’s “family home.”
And from now on, it will become a special inn just for you.

Tokuchi Shimaji, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. In a corner of the “Shimaji Shopping District”—where more than 30 shops lined the streets in the Showa 30s—the former Katayama residence stands quietly yet with a distinct presence.

During the renovation, we were committed to preserving “the history of this house” as much as possible. The old wooden beams, chandeliers, paintings, and pillars with a distinctive texture—all of these are “memories” that this house shares with you. While we’ve updated the plumbing, HVAC systems, and Wi-Fi to the latest standards, the essence of this inn lies not in its amenities.

It lies in the weight of time that flows through this place, the tranquility of the satoyama, and—that indescribable warmth that makes you think, “I’m so glad I came here.” That is Memory Gateway Hotel 101 Katayama-tei.

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■ The entire house, just for you.

This inn is a self-check-in accommodation featuring “entire-house rental and unstaffed operation.” From check-in to check-out, this entire traditional Japanese house becomes your own private space. One of the major attractions of this property is the complete privacy and the freedom to spend your time as you wish—made possible precisely because you won’t encounter any other guests and there are no on-site staff.

Please have your smartphone handy when making a reservation. All instructions for entering the property and facility information will be sent to you digitally in advance. Once you get the hang of it, it’s very simple. In fact, you’re sure to love the sense of freedom that comes from “not having to worry about anyone else.”

Please note that advance reservations are required for nearby experiential programs (such as Tokuchi handmade washi paper and the Kishimi stone bath). Please contact each facility directly to make reservations or check availability. Please note that our staff does not provide on-site guidance or transportation services on the day of your visit.

If you’re traveling with your family, you’ll feel as if you’ve returned to your family home in the countryside. Children can fully immerse themselves in the charm of the traditional farmhouse, while adults can take a moment to catch their breath amidst the tranquility of the rural mountains. Come and experience this “uninterrupted time”—a rare treat you can’t easily find in everyday life.

It’s also ideal for workations or training retreats. Focus on your work in a workspace equipped with Wi-Fi, and take a break to stroll through the surrounding countryside. Just doing that will give you the sensation of your mind becoming clear and organized.

This is a place I wholeheartedly recommend to solo travelers as well. The experience of renting an entire traditional Japanese house all to yourself is a rare opportunity. In this undisturbed space, you can read a book, listen to music, or simply zone out without a care in the world—this is a place where that alone is enough.

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■ Tokuchijima, a place enveloped in the tranquility of the satoyama.

Tokujishima-chi, located in the northern part of Yamaguchi City, is a satoyama village surrounded by abundant nature. In the morning, you’ll wake to the sound of birdsong, and at night, a sky full of stars spreads out above you. This place, which still vividly preserves a pristine landscape that could be called “another Japan,” is sure to leave you moved, thinking, “I didn’t know a Japan like this still existed.”

For visitors from overseas, it’s a special place where you can experience “the real Japan—the one you won’t find in guidebooks.” Traditional farmhouses, rural landscapes, and local traditions—all of these are condensed right here.

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■ Experiences you can only have at this inn.

[Tokuchi Handmade Washi Paper-Making Experience]

Tokuchi has been one of Japan’s leading centers for washi paper production since the Heian period. “Tokuchi Washi” is still carefully crafted by hand by artisans today. During your stay at this inn, you can enjoy a hands-on washi paper-making experience (advance reservation required; separate fee applies).

Feel the water-soaked paper fibers take shape as you guide them with your own hands. When you hold the finished washi in your hands, you can feel its substantial weight and soft texture. It is a moment when you connect, with your own hands, to Japan’s centuries-old culture of craftsmanship.

[Kishimi Stone Bath (Traditional Sauna) Experience]

Just a short drive from the inn lies the “Kishimi Stone Bath,” designated as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Firewood is burned inside the rock to heat the interior; after the ashes are raked out, you lie down—a tradition said to date back to the Nara period. Also known as a “traditional sauna,” this stone bath is an extremely rare cultural asset in Japan. The sensation of your body relaxing from the core will surely be an unforgettable experience.

【Lohas Shima-chi Hot Spring— —A Natural Free-Flowing Hot Spring Just a 2-Minute Walk Away】

Just a 2-minute walk from the inn lies “Lohas Shimaji Hot Spring,” a natural hot spring with water flowing directly from the source. The spring is classified as a “simple, weakly radioactive cold mineral spring.” This hot spring offers a wide range of health benefits, including relief from neuralgia, muscle pain, and joint pain, as well as recovery from fatigue and general health promotion. Soaking in the overflowing waters while gazing out at the Shimaji River—the sheer comfort of this experience provides the perfect way to cap off your journey through the satoyama countryside.

At the morning market featuring local vegetables, the Tokuchi specialty products shop, and the restaurant “Mokuraitei,” you can enjoy set meals made with Tokuchi rice and wild yams. During Golden Week, carp streamers flutter along the Shimaji River, and at year’s end, the area is illuminated with festive lights—it’s a warm, community-rooted facility.

・Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Last admission at 7:00 p.m.)
・Closed: Every Wednesday (or the following business day if Wednesday is a holiday) and during the year-end and New Year’s holidays
・Admission: Adults: 520 yen / Elementary school students: 250 yen / Preschoolers: Free
・2-minute walk from our inn (right in front of the “Lohas Shimaji Onsen” bus stop)

【Special Offer】We’re currently giving away Lohas Shimaji Onsen bath tickets!

All guests staying at our inn will receive one admission ticket to Lohas Shimaji Onsen (valid for one person, one visit) as a gift (this service is scheduled to continue for the time being). Please enjoy this natural hot spring, just a 2-minute walk away, free of charge. Taking a soak after check-out before heading home—enjoying the lingering afterglow of your trip in this way is a unique experience only available at our inn.

[Nature Walk in the Satoyama]

The area surrounding our inn is filled with the rich natural beauty of the satoyama. We especially recommend an early morning stroll. Walking along the satoyama trails amid the morning mist, listening to the chirping of small birds, you’ll find a tranquility you can never experience in the city. The scenery of terraced rice fields, the murmur of a babbling brook, and the greenery that changes with the seasons—it is precisely within this landscape, which may seem “empty,” that a profound richness lies.

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■ The Reason This Inn Was Born—Memories of the Earthquake and a Longing for Home.

We, the owners of an event company in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, founded this inn. Why did we decide to open a guesthouse in Tokuchi, Yamaguchi—a place with which we had no prior connection or ties? The reason lies in our memories of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The landscape of our hometown, utterly transformed. People who had lost their homes, watching their communities crumble. “Will we ever be able to return to that place again?”—Witnessing firsthand the deep regret of those thinking of their hometowns remains a deep wound in my heart to this day.

With the concentration of population in urban centers and declining populations—amidst these trends, places are continuing to emerge all over Japan where, “even though it’s not that you can’t live there, the number of people you love is dwindling and the place is losing its vitality.” As I went about my daily life with this sense of crisis, a video I happened to come across on YouTube led me to visit Tokuchijima.

“I want to preserve this landscape for the future. I want to create a place where anyone can truly feel at home.”

With those thoughts etched in my heart from that day, I decided to renovate this traditional Japanese house and open it to the public. This is not merely a place to stay. It is a hub that connects the region’s memories to the future, and a place where the cultures of Tohoku, Yamaguchi, and various other regions come together.

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■ For Our International Guests — A Hidden Japan, Just for You.

Welcome to Memory Gateway Hotel 101 Katayama tei.

This is a 60-year-old private farmhouse, lovingly restored in a quiet mountain village in Yamaguchi—entirely yours for the duration of your stay. Step inside and you’ll be greeted by the scent of aged wood, a chandelier that has illuminated this home for decades, paintings left behind by the family who once lived here, and handmade washi paper crafted by local artisans.

This is rural Japan at its most authentic.

Things to do near the property:
・ Lohas Shimaji Onsen (ロハス島地温泉): A natural hot spring just a 2-minute walk away. Spring type: simple, weakly radioactive cold mineral spring—known for relieving muscle pain, joint pain, and fatigue. Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (closed on Wednesdays). ★ All guests receive one complimentary bath ticket (valid for one visit)—our gift to you, for the foreseeable future.
・ Tesuki Washi (Handmade Washi Paper): Traditional papermaking, practiced in Tokuchi for over 1,000 years. Advance reservation required.
・ Kishimi no Ishiuro (岸見の石風呂): A bath carved into living rock—a type of sauna used in Japan since the 8th century. Designated as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. Advance reservation required.
・ Satoyama Nature Walks: Cedar forests, rice terraces, and riverside paths in the morning mist.

This is a self-check-in property with no on-site staff. You have the entire house to yourself—complete privacy, no shared spaces. Full instructions are provided digitally before arrival. Wi-Fi is available throughout.

Please note: All experience programs (washi, stone bath, etc.) require advance reservations made directly with each facility.

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■ Access & Basic Information

[Location] 95 Tokujishima-chi, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture (next to the Tokuji Regional Community Center Shimaji Branch)

[Access]
・ About a 30-minute drive from “Tokuyama Station” on the JR Sanyo Shinkansen
・ 1-minute walk from the “Shimaji” bus stop on the Bocho Bus line
・2-minute walk from the “Lohas Shimaji Onsen” bus stop on the Bocho Bus line

【Rental Format】 Entire property rental (no shared spaces with other guests)
【Amenities】 Wi-Fi available / Air conditioning (in all rooms) / Workspace / State-of-the-art bathroom facilities

【Recommended for】
・Families and couples who want to enjoy a private stay in a traditional Japanese house
・Groups planning a memorable trip or celebrating a special anniversary
・Workation, corporate training, or creative retreats
・ Travelers from Japan and abroad who want to experience Japan’s unspoiled landscapes and traditional culture
・Individuals seeking a quiet retreat to reflect on themselves

【Nearby Activities & Sightseeing Spots】
・Lohas Shichiji Hot Springs (2-minute walk; free-flowing spring water) ★Get one free bath ticket! *Closed on Wednesdays
・Tokuchi Handmade Washi Paper Workshop (Advance reservation required; separate fee)
・Kishimi Stone Bath (Nationally Designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property; advance confirmation required)
・ Satoyama Walks & Nature Tours

*All experience programs require advance reservations. Please make reservations directly with each facility or activity provider.

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■ We sincerely look forward to welcoming you.

Memory Gateway Hotel 101 Katayama tei is a place where memories are made.

Our hope is that guests who visit this inn will connect with the region’s history, experience its culture, and leave thinking, “I want to come back here again.”

We dream of this inn serving as a hub where people and cultures meet, bridging the gaps between Tohoku and Yamaguchi, cities and rural areas, and Japan and the rest of the world.

Memory Gateway Hotel 101 Katayama-tei
Operated by: Sasuke Human Direction Co., Ltd.