Hotels

Countryside Delights: Okayama International Villa Group -- If you're not on a tight schedule and you don't mind roughing it a bit, you might consider treating yourself to a few days in the countryside of Okayama Prefecture in one of two International Villas. Established in 1988 by the Okayama Prefectural Government to provide international guests the opportunity to experience rural Japan, the two villas are now managed by the local municipalities. Meals are not provided, so guests are expected to either dine out or cook and clean up after themselves.

In Hattoji, a village reached in about an hour via train and then bus or taxi, there's the Hattoji Villa, a 19th-century renovated thatched farmhouse with four Japanese-style rooms. Shiraishi Island in the Seto Inland Sea, which features beaches, shrines, and hiking trails, is home to the Shiraishi Villa, an airy glass-and-wooden building with four twin rooms and one Japanese-style room and with great views of the Seto Inland Sea. To reach Shiraishi from Okayama requires a 45-minute train ride, a 7-minute walk to the port, and a 22- to 50-minute ride on a ferry.

If these villas were privately owned, you'd easily pay more than twice what you'll be charged: ¥3,500 per person (¥4,000 for single travelers). Rooms, all without private bathroom, are rented individually, or you can rent the entire villa. Note, however, that only non-Japanese visitors and their Japanese guests are allowed to stay at Shiraishi Villa, while Hattoji Villa is open to both non-Japanese and Japanese guests. The maximum length of stay is 7 nights. For more information about the villas, their location, and rates, contact the Okayama International Villa Reservation Desk at tel. 086/256-2535 Monday through Saturday 9am to noon and 1 to 5pm; you can also fax the center at 086/256-2576. More information is also available at www.harenet.ne.jp/villa.