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Okayama Villa Scheme in Crisis - please help!


MoGa

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For anyone who's hoped to spend a few days in the countryside cooking local ingredients, this is a disaster.

But it's still not too late.

Unfortunately, I only found out about this today.

Information about the crisis and what you can do to help prevent it can be found here:

http://www.harenet.ne.jp/villa/intro/

Currently, visitors to Okayama can stay at one of five 'villas' for just 2,500yen a night. The scheme has run for quite a few years now and provides an invaluable and unique way to 'connect' with rural Japan in communities where the main pursuits are vegetable gardening and even fishing.

A highlight is the chance to cook in an irori

hattoji02.jpg

in Hattoji villa

Hattoji2.jpg

Comments need to be faxed to the Okayama Prefectural Government as soon as possible as this issue will be debated this month.

I'm distraught at the prospect of us all losing the opportunities provided by this wonderful scheme.

More information about the villas can be found here: http://www.harenet.ne.jp/villa/

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My own personal impression is that there is a untapped market for cooking classes in Japan. Rather than losing the villas completely, offering cooking and other courses as part of a package could regenerate the scheme and provide more income and greater interest (attracting affluent visitors as well as backpackers). I suspect the time is right for this move.

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