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It takes two: Dawid Nowosadzki and Ayako Ono<\/p>\nHakush\u016b in Japan\u2019s 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 sak\u00e9 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hakush\u016b was once a rest stop on the K\u014dsh\u016b Kaid\u014d, 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 \u2013 and forget to leave. \u201cWe eat local vegetables, breathe clean air and spend many mornings bathing in the Ojiragawa river,\u201d says Dawid Nowosadzki.<\/p>\n
It takes two: Dawid Nowosadzki and Ayako Ono<\/p>\n
Dawid and his partner, Ayako Ono, left the bustle of London for Hakush\u016b \u2013 Ayako\u2019s hometown \u2013 in 2023. \u201cWhen I came back, I was surprised,\u201d she says. \u201cMore people from Tokyo had bought second homes<\/a> here and there were foreigners settling too.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Koma\u2019s produce reflects Hakush\u016b\u2019s agricultural richness. \u201cEveryone heads to\u00a0michi-no-eki\u00a0[roadside stops] for their vegetables,\u201d says Ayako, but not far away \u201cyou\u2019ll find lettuce, sweet tomatoes, asparagus, cabbages\u201d growing up and down the mountain.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hakush\u016b is part of Hokuto, where the aroma of Japanese cedars and\u00a0momiji\u00a0(maple trees) drifts across the rural city. \u201cToday, many people want to live in Hakush\u016b but very few houses are for sale,\u201d says Inaka Life real estate agent Yudai Komiyama. \u201cAbout 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.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s 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\u00a0with molasses at the 124-year-old confectionery shop, Kinseiken. The 13th-generation sak\u00e9 brewery Shichiken occupies a wooden house in the beautifully preserved Daigahara-juku.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yamanashi also houses some of Japan\u2019s oldest wineries. Ch\u00e2teau Charmant, founded in 1919, produces Japan\u2019s indigenous koshu grapes alongside French varieties. \u201cThe water nourishes the soil \u2013 you can taste that in the wine. That\u2019s why our cabernet franc thrives,\u201d says Yamamoto Masahiko, a third-generation winemaker.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike Tokyo, Hakush\u016b offers a cooler, calmer place to put down roots. Just don\u2019t be surprised if, somewhere between its produce, the river and another glass of sak\u00e9, the return journey begins to feel wonderfully optional.\u00a0<\/p>\n Five recent arrivals to the region:\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. 3. 4. ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/\u5199\u771f-2025-05-27-8-13-50.jpeg\")
Fruits of labour: Picking from the garden<\/p>\n
Esoto\u00a0\u00a0
Shichiken\u2019s newest intimate stay for just four guests, with a traditional Japanese set-up:\u00a0kaiseki\u00a0dinners, a private onsen, tea ceremonies and the house\u2019s finest sak\u00e9.\u00a0
sake-shichiken.com
<\/a>
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 K\u014dsh\u016b Kaid\u014d\u2019s sweetest new arrival.\u00a0
itomachocolate.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Eighten
A restored\u00a0kominka\u00a0(folk house) for yoga with tatami floors and shoji screens, surrounded by cedar trees and overlooking the Minami Alps.
eighten.jp<\/a><\/p>\n
Albero
Italian frittata, house-baked focaccia and local sausages. This riverside breakfast spot opens at 08.00 on weekends.\u00a0
cafe-albero.jp<\/a><\/p>\n