GROUP STAYS
We'll take care of the "what now?"
Hi, we're Claire and Shiro (and our cats, Warabi and Yuzu!).
We created Guesthouse Mikansei as a place for people to slow down, connect, and experience rural Japan beyond the usual tourist path. Share a table, enjoy a cup of tea, make friends with local people, and take home stories to tell.
We've built close relationships with our community and love connecting guests with the people who make this valley special.
From tea farmers and craftspeople to local guides and community groups, we create experiences that bring people together.
Tell us what your group is passionate about, and we'll make a stay that's uniquely yours.
A BIG OLD HOUSE FOR BEING TOGETHER
Mikansei isn't just a place to stay.
There are plenty of places that can host a group for quick sightseeing and a trip home. We want to help our guests explore.
We can introduce you to nationally ranked tea farms, artists, mountain trails, community dinners, curious neighbours, and at least two interesting cats.
Is Our Town Right for Your Group?
Our home, Kawanehon, is part of the Japan many travelers never get to see. Tucked away in the Southern Alps, it's a place of tea fields, mountain villages, and welcoming locals.
Here are just a few of the groups we've helped connect with the people, places, and experiences that make it special.
LEARNING & FIELD TRIPS
Learning sticks better when it’s experienced firsthand.
Whether your group is exploring culture, sustainability, tourism, or rural life, we'll connect you with what makes Kawanehon special—from award-winning tea farmers and local craftspeople to mountain landscapes and the UNESCO-recognized Shikanomai deer dance.
CREATIVE & ART RETREATS
Bring your own workshop—or join one of ours.
Host your own creative retreat, or let us help organize experiences like tea dyeing, picture book workshops, paint & sip nights, community art projects, or collaborations with local artists.
CLUBS & SMALL TOURS
Tea lovers, hiking clubs, photography groups, food tours, cycling trips, international exchange, or just friends who like doing interesting things together.
Send the day exploring a place instead of just passing through it.
REST & WELLNESS
Need somewhere to slow down for a bit?
Mornings in the tea fields, afternoons with nowhere to rush off to, shared meals, shinrin yoku (forest bathing), and enough space for your group to actually unplug.
Here's one way it could go.
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Arrive, check into the house, get oriented, visit an onsen, and eat together.
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Meet a tea farmer or local producer, walk through the village, eat locally, join a cultural or creative activity, and finish with a shared dinner.
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Take a walk, hold a workshop or reflection session at the house, drink tea together, and head home.
Everyone starts asking,
"When can we come back?"
BUILD YOUR STAY
Do you want to...
pick and drink award winning tea with the farmer who grows it?
Visit tea farms, meet producers, taste different styles of Kawane tea, and learn how tea is grown and made.
make something?
Tea dyeing, art, photography, research, making things together—or bring your own creative program and use Mikansei as your base.
learn culture that's been passed down for over 400 years?
Meet residents, learn about traditional arts and festivals, or create opportunities for genuine exchange.
disappear into the mountains for a day?
Walk through tea fields, explore mountain villages, hike local trails, ride the railway, or finish the day in an onsen.
Practical information
| Group size | from 5 to 12 people groups |
| Recommended stay | 2–4 nights |
| Style | Private former farmhouse stay |
| Meals | Self-catering and group meal options |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Transportation | We can help with transport between local locations |
| Activities | Optional, we can suggest and coordinate local experiences |
| Location | Kawanehon, Shizuoka, Japan |
BRING YOUR PEOPLE
We’ll help you build the rest.
Tell us roughly how many people are coming, your preferred dates, what kind of group you are, and what you're interested in.
For us, hospitality isn't about perfect service—it's about creating the space for meaningful moments to happen naturally.
We're less interested in giving you a perfect itinerary than helping your group have the kind of weekend you'll still be talking about six months later.