Hakushū in Japan’s Southern Alps is famed for its cool climes, rich soil and clean water, which emerges from Mount Kaikoma before flowing through the forested Ojiragawa Valley. The river has sustained the Shichiken saké brewery for nearly three centuries and, since 1973, it has been the lifeline of an award-winning Suntory whisky distillery too. This landscape dotted with traditional houses, rice fields and well-tended vineyards is just a two-hour drive from Tokyo. 

Hakushū was once a rest stop on the Kōshū Kaidō, the highway that carried merchants through this part of Yamanashi Prefecture to Edo (present-day Tokyo). It has now become a place that people travel to on purpose – and forget to leave. “We eat local vegetables, breathe clean air and spend many mornings bathing in the Ojiragawa river,” says Dawid Nowosadzki.

It takes two: Dawid Nowosadzki and Ayako Ono

Dawid and his partner, Ayako Ono, left the bustle of London for Hakushū – Ayako’s hometown – in 2023. “When I came back, I was surprised,” she says. “More people from Tokyo had bought second homes here and there were foreigners settling too.” Together they opened Koma, a deli serving colourful plates of seasonal vegetables, from roasted broccoli and sesame seeds to radishes topped with a creamy turmeric sauce and pita with red cabbage.

Koma’s produce reflects Hakushū’s agricultural richness. “Everyone heads to michi-no-eki [roadside stops] for their vegetables,” says Ayako, but not far away “you’ll find lettuce, sweet tomatoes, asparagus, cabbages” growing up and down the mountain. 

Hakushū is part of Hokuto, where the aroma of Japanese cedars and momiji (maple trees) drifts across the rural city. “Today, many people want to live in Hakushū but very few houses are for sale,” says Inaka Life real estate agent Yudai Komiyama. “About 10 per cent of those looking for a place are foreigners, with some coming for retirement and others for remote work. They all seem to be looking for the same slower rhythm.”

There’s also a steady stream of weekend visitors. Some head to the Suntory distillery, known for its 25-year-old single malt, while others queue for a shingen mochi with molasses at the 124-year-old confectionery shop, Kinseiken. The 13th-generation saké brewery Shichiken occupies a wooden house in the beautifully preserved Daigahara-juku. 

Fruits of labour: Picking from the garden

Yamanashi also houses some of Japan’s oldest wineries. Château Charmant, founded in 1919, produces Japan’s indigenous koshu grapes alongside French varieties. “The water nourishes the soil – you can taste that in the wine. That’s why our cabernet franc thrives,” says Yamamoto Masahiko, a third-generation winemaker. 

Unlike Tokyo, Hakushū offers a cooler, calmer place to put down roots. Just don’t be surprised if, somewhere between its produce, the river and another glass of saké, the return journey begins to feel wonderfully optional. 

Five recent arrivals to the region: 

1.
Esoto  
Shichiken’s newest intimate stay for just four guests, with a traditional Japanese set-up: kaiseki dinners, a private onsen, tea ceremonies and the house’s finest saké. 
sake-shichiken.com

2.
Itoma
This bean-to-bar chocolate workshop does everything in-house, from roasting cacao beans to moulding the final bar. Opened this past October, it is Kōshū Kaidō’s sweetest new arrival. 
itomachocolate.com

3.
Eighten
A restored kominka (folk house) for yoga with tatami floors and shoji screens, surrounded by cedar trees and overlooking the Minami Alps.
eighten.jp

4.
Albero
Italian frittata, house-baked focaccia and local sausages. This riverside breakfast spot opens at 08.00 on weekends. 
cafe-albero.jp

5.
Listude
Japanese wooden-speaker brand Listude arrived in Hokuto a year ago, bringing a programme of artists who perform alfresco in the forest. 
listude.jp