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©Koichiro Fujimoto

An Inn That’s a Living Showcase of Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts

Furnished entirely with the work of local craftspeople, Craft Inn Te in Yame vividly brings the craft culture of Kyushu to life

Yame is a small town with a population of around 60,000 in Fukuoka Prefecture in the north of Kyushu. Despite its modest size, the town is home to Japanese crafts ranging from washi paper and lantern-making to bamboo-work and pottery.

Arts and crafts fans eager for a truly immersive experience should combine their visit to Yame with a stay at Craft Inn Te. Consisting of a single traditional house, Craft Inn Te is furnished entirely by craftspeople from Yame or elsewhere in Kyushu.

The inn has just two unique rooms, each of which has a specific design theme: bamboo and indigo. The Bamboo Room, for example, has woven-bamboo lampshades, a woven bamboo tabletop, and relaxing bamboo armchairs. Meanwhile, the Indigo Room features floor cushions, pillows and a tapestry all dyed in vivid indigo blue. These spacious and idiosyncratic rooms are the opposite of an ordinary hotel room. The breakfast is a work of art too. It is made using local ingredients (principally fruit and vegetables) and is served on locally made wooden tableware.

Nestled among the town’s many artisanal shops and workshops, the inn can help you make the most of your visit. It offers a wide variety of hands-on tours, such as scarf- and bag-making, indigo-dyeing, not to mention interactions with the actual artisans. The inn also runs a couple of nearby shops specializing in craft products. Chances are you will not leave empty handed.

Access: From JR Hakata Station, take a train to JR Hainuzuka Station (about 60 minutes), then a taxi (about 20 minutes). Or, take a Shinkansen bullet train to Kurume Station (about 20 minutes), then a bus ride on the Nishitetsu Bus getting off at Nishitojinmachi, followed by a short walk (about 10 minutes). Alternatively, you can skip the bus and take a taxi the entire way from Kurume (about 40 minutes).