I went to the Chiiori land trust website after reading a post from from ii-ne-kore which described some amazing research on alternative accommodations in Kyoto. I remember reading about Alex Kerr’s Machiya restoration project in Kansai Time Out back in the day. I think that was a tattered and loved issue which also pinpointed all the best onsen/sento in Kyoto, including the one that supposedly set the stage for Spirited Away. (Though it is also possible that I’ve compiled my own “greatest hits” compendium of Kansai Time Out in my mind.)
The Chiiori Trust is Alex Kerr’s farmhouse restoration project in the Iya Valley in Shikoku. You can stay there for free as long as you participate in communal meals and cleaning. Farm chores and restoration/construction work are optional. There are about two hundred more beautiful photos in the gallery. I can only imagine how great it is in person.
