Photo by Yoichi Fujita
Photo by Yoichi Fujita
Photo by Yoichi Fujita
Hostel Otate is the brainchild of entrepreneur laureate Yoichi Fujita. Built in 1873, Yunohara Elemetary School in Shichikashuku was once filled with more than three hundred students. However, as the population of the town gradually declined, so did the number of students in attendance. Due to lack of enrollment, the school closed permanently in 2014. The school building remained abandoned for the next five years, until the town decided to renovate it into a hostel and event space.
The hostel has its own sento bathouse and serves homestyle Japanese fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Walking around the hostel, you’ll notice that the look and atmosphere of the old school building has been retained, right down to its completely functional gymnasium and an old classroom kept in its original state. Day-trippers are welcome to drop by for lunch or a bath. If you’re in town on the right day, you’ll even be able to join a soba-making class led by the staff of Bashoan.
WEBSITEhttp://shichikashuku-miyagi.co.jp/hostel/
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Mt. Zao
