Part 1: About the Villa.
Hattoji Villa is an extremely well preserved example of rural architecture. In fact, the whole surrounding area is so removed from the concrete cities we live in today, that you may feel you are on a movie set. You would be right. Scenes from the movies "黒い雨" ("Black Rain", but not the Michael Douglas movie) and "八つ墓村" (The Eight Tomb Village, 1997) were both shot in the Hattoji area because it so closely represents the Japan of old.

The Villa was once a farmhouse and aside from glass windows, western bathrooms and kitchen, (which were added to cater for international guests) it is a fascinating insight into what was once the standard construction in rural areas; the roof is thatched, the floors are tatami mats and the doors are paper. In the house's heyday, the metal "goemon" bathtub would have been heated from below by a fire and the bather would have balanced on a wooden board to save their feet from burning on the bottom. Today, the bath only gets as hot as the water you put into it, saving time, energy, and burnt skin.

The temperature control system of the villa remains as it always was: in the summertime, open the floor to ceiling windows on both sides of the house and let the gully breeze gently ventilate; in winter, stoke up the irori fireplace. Unlike hearths in western houses, the fireplace is embedded in the floor in the middle of the room. Today, guests can gather around it and discuss the day's adventures, perhaps over a game of Japanese chess or igo using the boards provided. Kerosene heaters are also provided for each room.

Part2: Around the Villa.
Hattoji is the name of the Villa, the area surrounding, the mountain behind, and one of the temples down the road. This peaceful setting was once the home of a mountain Buddhist sect and was once a bustling hive of religious activity. Fire destroyed many of the buildings of the day, but many have been rebuilt.

It will take about 40 minutes to climb up the Hattoji mountain, and on the way you will pass numerous "ojizousan" statues of Buddha, carved out of rock. If the drive up to the villa left you in any doubt, the view from the top of the mountain will confirm that you are miles from anywhere.

Depending on the route you take to or from the top of the mountain, you will either pass by two fresh water dams behind the villa (apparently also used as swimming holes) or you will pass through a temple. There are two routes to the temple too, and one of them is via the Shinto shrine, although I must caution you that if you take this route, do not lean on the fence to help yourself in the climb. You will get a nasty shock… literally. It seems that the temple doesn't appreciate visits from wild boars and their solution is an electric fence!

Down the road from the villa is a picturesque little park complete with watermill and garden. Looking up the hill from here, the temple complex seems almost imposing, but the gates do not bar you from entering… guests of the International Villa can make reservations (1 week in advance) to eat traditional Buddhist "Shoujin-ryouri" from Koukenji Temple in the evenings. (Open until 5pm everyday except Wed.)

Further down the road, (veering left) you will come across a camping ground. I suppose this might be useful if you had more than 13 guests who wanted to stay in the area and didn't all fit in the villa, but perhaps Villa guests will find the campground more useful as a source of evening meals from the Kiosk. The other local restaurant is near the village entrance and it's called the Nichirinsha.

Yoshinaga town, which owns the villa and also operates the bus that takes guests to it, is also home to the Hattoji Dam and the memorial park for the Ikeda Clan. Hattoji Dam is located about half way between Yoshinaga station and the Villa. Bicycles and boats can be hired and the scenery is nothing short of picturesque. The Ikeda Clan's gravesite is far more difficult to locate, and not as entertaining as their most important legacy, Shizutani School, which is located just 5 kms from Yoshinaga train station, in neighboring Bizen.

Touted as the first public school for commoners, the local residents are trying to gather support to have the site listed as a World Heritage site. Unfortunately, the English language pamphlet offered does little justice to a truly remarkable set of buildings. I suggest you read the brochure before wandering through the school rather than after, because it will make little sense otherwise.

If you have your own car, Yoshinaga is actually quite close to both Aida and Mimasaka towns. Aida was once host the Pacific Formula One Grand Prix, and the track is still used by everything from super-cars and bikes to Formula 3. In fact, you can see it from the mountaintop behind the Villa. Further upstream is the renowned onsen hot-spring area of Yunago, which is home to dozens of public bath houses, and also recently, Okayama's first L-league (ladies) soccer team.

Then again, you could just sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery.