Savor Game Cuisine and Experience the Energy of Life
Hearty Game Cuisine in a Thatched-Roof Farmhouse
About a 20-minute drive from central Tokamachi City lies the Mitsuyama hamlet in the mountainous Tobitashi district. There, Ms. Misako Takahashi runs a farmhouse inn. After returning from Tokyo, she opened Kayaya in 2016.
“While working in Tokyo, I began to dream of running a farmhouse inn in an old thatched-roof home up in the mountains.”
Many guests visit Kayaya specifically for Ms. Takahashi’s game dishes—she is also a licensed hunter.
“Because we’re deep in the mountains, I wanted to serve what’s available right here. For me, wild game is just another local ingredient, like mushrooms or wild greens. That’s why I got my hunting license and joined the local hunting association.”
What makes game meat so appealing?
“It’s delicious, with a natural taste. Its fat is much lighter than that of farm-raised animals. We often serve it in hot pots or grilled dishes—ways that really highlight the flavor. As we grill the meat together, I explain to guests which cut we’re eating, whether it’s male or female, and roughly how old it might have been.”
Since she hunts and butchers the animals herself, Ms. Takahashi uses every part of the meat, recognizing the effort and respect that hunting requires.
Kayaya Farmhouse Inn
[Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture]
A Lodge of the Akiyama Matagi
The Akiyama Matagi have a long history. Many Matagi (traditional hunters) originally hail from Akita Prefecture, traveling to other areas to hunt bears and Japanese serow. In the early 19th century, groups of Akita Matagi entered Akiyama Village for collective hunts.
Mr. Kazuhito Fukuhara, proprietor of Deguchiya, is himself one of the Akiyama Matagi. We spoke in a large room adorned with bear skins and hunting photos.
“The story goes that one of these Akita Matagi came to Oakasawa, and after hunting, decided never to return. My grandmother’s side descends from that Akita Matagi.”
Mr. Fukuhara often serves guests venison and bear—animals he hunts himself—prepared in ceramic-plate grills and hot pots. While dining, he shares the legacy of the Akiyama Matagi.
“What I value most is the courage and spirituality of the Matagi, who risk their lives to face bears. We believe the animals aren’t truly taken by us, but rather bestowed upon us by the mountain gods.”
Living in harmony with nature, the people here find the rich blessings of the mountains enough to sustain life in this abundant land.
Deguchiya Inn
[Sakae Village, Nagano Prefecture]
