Sayoko Nakajima
（Mima City, Minshuku Nakajima）

A popular farm stay in Yokokura, a mountainous area close to the border with Kagawa Prefecture, attracts overseas guests despite its distance from major roads and tourist attractions.

Sayoko Nakajima opened her farm stay to guests in 2018. Her home is surrounded by vegetable fields such as tomatoes and green peppers, which are shipped to local farmers’ markets. Students from urban areas on school trips also visit to enjoy hands-on harvesting experiences.

Thanks to its location, approximately 40 minutes from Takamatsu Airport, Yokokura has seen a growing number of international visitors. The farm stay has become popular through word of mouth as a place where guests can experience rural life in the mountains of Japan, and now welcomes visitors from around the world.

Sayoko is also active in a local Lifestyle Improvement Group (Yokokura Lifestyle Improvement Group). On weekends, she and other members sell traditional foods such as Dengaku, Bara-zushi, and Dango in the Udatsu Townscape, a well-known tourist area in Mima City. The group has been active for 55 years, but its activities have become more difficult in recent years, owing to the aging of its membership.

Nakajima says, “We used to make tofu and miso as well, but now most of the members are elderly and it has become difficult to continue these activities. If younger people are interested, the facilities are still usable, and I hope they will carry on the region’s food culture.”

For accommodation inquiries: Minshuku Nakajima