Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Pref. – At the edge of town in the rural Ishikawa village of Yamanaka Onsen, several people approach a rustic kominka that had long been dark until recently. Inside, the murmur of casual conversation bursts into a chorus of friendly greetings as new guests arrive.
The century-old farmhouse, tucked behind a residential area of mostly rickety old homes and one new place still under construction, is accessible by a grassy path. For visitors arriving on foot from the main road, strategically placed signs point the way to the destination in hand-painted Roman letters: Mokkei.
Clad in silvery wood planks and patinaed, corrugated metal with chocolate-hued tiles spanning the roof, the house looks time-worn but stately. There’s a mature red maple and a small vegetable patch out front, with a forest-covered mountain behind it. As a cooking studio and event space, it will serve as both a hub for local knowledge-sharing and a retreat for tourists.
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