Hello, this is Aya, host of Oyado Chiyosato.
When guests arrive, a few things are waiting for them in the house: flowers, coffee and sweets, apple juice, and eggs.
I set out to write about those things, but it turned out to be a story about people.
And somewhere along the way, my love for Sakuho started spilling over (lol).
I never cared about flowers. Now I put them out for every guest
I have to confess: I used to have almost no interest in flowers.
As a student, my mother once put flowers on my desk, and I didn’t even notice them until they had wilted (lol).
Yet here I am, preparing fresh flowers every single time guests come to stay.
It started on the day we photographed the house for our listing.
A friend from the local business startup course I took (we call it “Sogyo-juku”) wanted to become a florist.
That friend is Shironeko Seikaten.
She brought flowers for the photo shoot, and the house looked completely different.
I decided right then: when our very first guests arrived, there would be flowers.
Since then, I just haven’t been able to stop.
These days, two people arrange seasonal flowers for us: Shironeko Seikaten, and tiny_tiny.garden (“Little Garden”), a fellow mom and a good friend of mine.
tiny_tiny.garden grows flowers in her own garden and turns them into small bouquets.
Both of them always look so happy when they’re arranging flowers.
And I love watching them do it.
Maybe moving to Sakuho gave me some breathing room, or maybe it’s just my age — either way, I’ve become someone who truly enjoys flowers.
When the flowers are in place, something switches on in me: “Okay, we’re ready to welcome our guests.”
And the guests love them, too.
So of course, I can’t stop now.
First, a moment to relax
When you arrive somewhere after a trip, don’t you want a cup of coffee and a moment to breathe?
Especially after a long drive.
So let me start with the coffee.
At first, I put out drip bags from Maruyama Coffee.
It’s one of Nagano’s most beloved coffee roasters.
But one day, Ikeda Farm said to me, “Why not use something even more local?”
— Well, you’ve got a point, I thought.
That’s how they introduced me to Hyoko 800 Coffee.
Now every guest gets one Hyoko 800 Coffee drip bag of their own.
The roasters are a married couple who don’t have a shop of their own; a few days a week, they run a café at Eki-Terrace in the neighboring town of Koumi.
Like us, they moved here from the city — they left their office jobs to start roasting coffee.
The name? “Hyoko” means elevation, and 800 is exactly that: 800 meters above sea level.
When I tell this story during the house tour, guests almost always smile and say, “Oh, really?”
It’s a great little conversation starter.
One day, I’d love to have a coffee maker here, brewing Hyoko 800 beans — that’s my secret dream.
And once there’s coffee, you want a little something sweet, right?
That’s why we put out treats from Pâtisserie Hiraku in Sakuho.
They’re known for their baked goods and use plenty of Nagano-grown fruit and nuts.
Not tea or water — apple juice
When we first opened, I stocked the fridge with bottled tea and water.
That’s what my family always buys first when we travel.
But you can get those anywhere.
It’s a kind gesture, sure — but our guests came all the way to Sakuho.
Besides, Sakuho has delicious tap water.
Honestly, I’d rather you drink water straight from the tap.
So what’s something you can only drink here?
Local apple juice would make anyone happy — and that’s how apple juice became our welcome drink.
At first, I bought it at the store.
Then, at Sogyo-juku, I met the very person who made that apple juice.
That’s Suda Farm.
They’ve been growing apples in Sakuho for more than 60 years, and now I buy directly from them.
The eggs come from Ikeda Farm, another connection from Sogyo-juku.
Their hens are free-range, and the yolks are a pale lemon color — but the flavor is rich.
Seriously, how amazing are these connections?
Writing all this down, I surprised myself.
The flowers from Shironeko Seikaten.
The apple juice from Suda Farm.
The eggs from Ikeda Farm.
Every single one came from Sogyo-juku!
And Hyoko 800 Coffee? That came from one remark by Ikeda Farm.
One connection keeps bringing the next.
…Isn’t that amazing?
I’m so happy that Sogyo-juku gave me these connections with people in the community.
And I want to say it loud:
Sakuho is overflowing with talented people!
A florist, an apple farm, an egg farm, a pâtisserie, and a couple who left the city to start roasting coffee.
So many people here run their own businesses with their own hands.
Sakuho is a genuinely fascinating town!
It’s a fascinating place for anyone who wants to start a business, too.
…Okay, yes. I love Sakuho way too much (lol).
That’s why the whole town welcomes you
When a booking comes in, I order the flowers.
I stock up on coffee, apple juice, and eggs.
I go to Hiraku to pick up sweets.
And our guests often eat at local restaurants and buy souvenirs in town, too.
Just one group of guests at one house, and a little money flows to all corners of the town.
If that cycle grows, maybe someday it will create jobs here — and I’m quite serious about that dream.
So welcoming guests at Chiyosato isn’t something I do alone.
The whole town of Sakuho welcomes you.
If you spot the flowers or the apple juice in the house, I’d be so happy if you remembered: “This is the work of people in this town.”
The people in this story
- Flowers: Shironeko Seikaten (Instagram)
- Flowers: tiny_tiny.garden (Instagram)
- Coffee: Hyoko 800 Coffee
- Sweets: Pâtisserie Hiraku
- Apple juice: Suda Farm, Sakuho
- Eggs: Ikeda Farm (Instagram)
Next year, in the rice fields too
Actually, I’m thinking about inviting guests to join us for the rice harvest next year.
I’ll write more about that once everything is ready.
Next time, I plan to write about driving on snowy roads, for guests visiting us in winter.
See you next time.
Aya, Host of Oyado Chiyosato
