Experience the Power of Herbs in the Rural Landscape of Uda, Nara.
A Quiet Retreat for Just Four Groups a Day.
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Services & Facilities
In the mountain village of Uda, Nara, sits a secluded retreat known only to a select few.
Uda Yakuto no Yado Yatakiya is an inn limited to just four groups per day, set inside a beautifully renovated 300-year-old traditional folk house. The environment blends a sense of nostalgia with a dignified beauty.
Uda once flourished as a medicinal herb-gathering town. Inheriting this rich history and culture, Yatakiya has created a stay based on the concept of a medicinal herb retreat. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, guests can slowly restore their mind and body with the power of medicinal herbs in a peaceful rural landscape.
Because booking is limited to four groups a day, early reservations are highly recommended.
A Serene Rural Escape of White Gravel and Thatched Roofs
The traditional Yamato-style thatched roof stands quietly against a backdrop of lush green mountains. In the white gravel courtyard, hammocks and chairs are casually set out. This scenery, where nostalgia meets a refined beauty, is the classic Japanese countryside landscape that Yatakiya deeply cherishes. Just sitting on the veranda and watching the garden is a worthy travel experience in itself.
The cuisine at Yatakiya goes far beyond simply being healthy. Focusing on chemical-free, organic vegetables grown in the onsite garden, the kitchen uses a rich variety of strictly selected ingredients. Every single dish concentrates the history and abundance of this region.
Dinner is a creative Italian course that pairs local organic vegetables with Yamato Toki, a prized brand of medicinal herb that Uda takes great pride in. Starting with an assortment of appetizers, moving to pasta that brings out the best of seasonal ingredients, and leading to rare Uda beef, the meal allows you to truly experience the blessings of the countryside with every bite.
Breakfast is a Japanese-style set menu centered around tea porridge made with organic black beans from Uda and Yamato Toki. The deeply nourishing flavors gently soak into your body just after waking up.
You should also definitely try Kiraku Cola, a homemade craft cola made with Yamato Toki leaves. It is a unique drink found only here, offering a perfect balance of herbal refreshment and sweetness.
Day trips for lunch or dinner only are also available. Visiting to enjoy a meal that fulfills the desire to become beautiful from the inside out makes for a wonderful experience.
The baths at Yatakiya offer a completely private setup, with every room featuring a cypress-lined bathroom and a Shigaraki ware bathtub. Guests can soak luxuriously in the water at their own pace without worrying about anyone else.
The most notable feature is the medicinal herb bath, which uses a generous amount of in-house Yamato Toki. Part of the celery family, Yamato Toki has been highly valued since ancient times as a remedy for women, and it is known to promote blood circulation and warm the body deeply from its core. This bathing experience lets you receive the power of medicinal herbs with your entire body, offering something completely different from an ordinary bath. It will undoubtedly melt away all the tension in your mind and body.
The four guest rooms each have a completely different atmosphere, offering such distinct style that it feels like staying at an entirely different inn.
Manyo is a scenic room that welcomes stays with pets. The living room windows offer an expansive look at the wide, peaceful countryside scenery.
Kagirohi is a maisonette-type Western-style room converted from a storehouse. Wrapped in a faint, soft light, the space feels incredibly calm, making the passage of time feel wonderfully slow.
Mahoroba is a detached suite with its own private garden, offering an exceptional sense of open freedom. It is the most spacious room among the four options, and you can view the thatched roof directly from the windows. Furthermore, a private sauna has recently opened, making this room feel even more exclusive.
Koraku is characterized by its high ceilings and an incredibly open, airy feel. The bathroom includes a small private terrace, turning your solo time into something truly special.
Your impression of the stay will change entirely depending on which room you choose. Spending time weighing your options during booking is just another fun part of the journey.
What sets Yatakiya vastly apart from other inns is its incredibly rich lineup of experiential programs. Because staff members holding health tourism certifications guide you, the depth of knowledge and quality of the experience are on a completely different level. Based on the three keywords of exercise, rest, and nutrition, the plans are designed to help guests face their own mind and body.
While the available programs vary by season, the medicinal bath-making and sachet-making experiences let you personally select local medicinal herbs, including Yamato Toki, to create original bath salts and sachets tailored to your desired health benefits and fragrance preferences. This brings a level of satisfaction you simply cannot get from store-bought products.
The farming experience, available strictly from April to December, is a program where you can actively participate in seasonal agricultural work, such as sowing seeds and harvesting at the adjacent Uda Mahoroba Herb Garden. Touching the soil and feeling the power of plants firsthand serves as the ultimate refreshment.
The nature tour takes you on an early morning walk through the crisp air with a guide to explore the surrounding nature, shrines, and fields. Engaging with the wisdom of ancestors who lived by reading nature, along with the stories of local plants, brings a quiet awareness that is impossible to find in the city.
During the firefly season, a firefly guiding tour takes place. After dinner, guests stroll through the countryside night where there are no streetlights. The sight of the fireflies, looking almost as if stars are raining down, is completely captivating.
For deep relaxation, you can receive an oil treatment using chemical-free herbs and essential oils sourced right in Uda. Depending on the weather, outdoor treatments are also available, making for an extraordinary experience as you surrender yourself entirely to nature.
With yoga sessions and cycling tours through the countryside on E-bikes also available, the menu is fully equipped to align your mind and body from multiple angles.
A place where you can experience a medicinal herb retreat while living as one with nature, that is the true charm of Uda Yakuto no Yado Yatakiya.
Room
A Western-style maisonette room, lovingly converted from a traditional kura storehouse. Soft, ambient light envelops the entire space in a gentle warmth, and time seems to slow to a quiet, unhurried pace. Let the extraordinary stillness wash away the weariness of your everyday life.
1835 Haibarayataki, Uda, Nara 633-0216
From Tokyo: Take the Tomei Expressway and Higashi-Meihan Expressway, then exit at “Hari Interchange” on the Meihan National Highway. Follow Route 369 for approximately 30 minutes.
From Osaka: Take the Hanshin Expressway (or Kinki Expressway) and Nishi-Meihan Expressway, then exit at “Hari Interchange” on the Meihan National Highway. Follow Route 369 for approximately 30 minutes.
Get off at Haibara Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line. Take the Nara Kotsu Oku-Uda Wakuwaku Bus, get off at Yataki Bus Stop, and walk for approximately 20 minutes.
About 15 minutes from Shin-Tomei Expressway “Fujieda-Okabe IC”
Ryokan Name
Yatakiya
Address
1302 Yoshiimachi, Ukiha, Fukuoka 839-1321
Baths
| An inn where the power of medicinal herbs deeply relaxes body and mind. |
Facilities & Features
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