Makkari(Japan) Travel 2026: Cheap Flights, Hotels & Top Attractions

In Mashiki Village, the top choice for families is Mashiki Nature Lodge, a rustic yet modern eco-lodge nestled within the Daisetsuzan National Park. Surrounded by dense cedar forests and pristine rivers, it offers spacious cabins with heated floors, private balconies, and direct access to scenic hiking trails. Guests can enjoy guided forest walks, birdwatching, and even seasonal snowshoeing tours. The lodge also features a children’s activity room with local crafts and storytelling sessions. Meals are prepared using organic produce from nearby farms, emphasizing sustainability and regional flavor. Its remote setting ensures tranquility, making it ideal for reconnecting with nature.

For an immersive farm-life experience in Mashiki Village, choose Sakura Farmstay House, a traditional wooden farmhouse run by a local family. Guests stay in cozy guest rooms with tatami flooring and participate in daily farm activities such as feeding goats, harvesting vegetables, and milking cows. The property grows its own organic produce, which is used in homemade meals featuring Hokkaido dairy and wild mountain herbs. Seasonal events include autumn pumpkin festivals and winter ice lantern displays. The home-cooked breakfast includes fresh eggs, miso soup, and locally baked bread. This hands-on stay offers a rare glimpse into rural Hokkaido’s sustainable lifestyle.

Mashiki Village stands out as a hidden gem for off-the-beaten-path travelers due to its untouched natural beauty and slow-paced rural culture. Unlike crowded tourist hubs, this village offers quiet alpine meadows, crystal-clear streams, and ancient forests home to rare wildlife like the Ezo red fox and Japanese serow. Visitors can explore abandoned WWII-era mountain huts, hike through secluded valleys, or visit local artisans crafting traditional wood carvings. With minimal infrastructure and no chain hotels, the area emphasizes authenticity—guests stay in family-run ryokans or farm stays where locals share stories of ancestral farming practices. It’s perfect for those seeking solitude, connection with nature, and genuine cultural exchange.

For the most authentic onsen experience in Mashiki Village, stay at Kogen Onsen Yado, a century-old family-run ryokan built directly above a natural hot spring source. The main bath is an open-air stone pool fed by mineral-rich water flowing straight from the ground, with temperatures ranging between 42–45°C. Guests enjoy unobstructed views of pine-covered mountains and hear the gentle trickle of stream water. Traditional kaiseki dinners feature seasonal ingredients like wild mushrooms, river trout, and local milk-based desserts. The staff, many of whom have lived here generations, offer personalized hospitality and share stories about the region’s history and healing properties of the waters. No modern gimmicks—just pure, time-honored onsen tradition.

Visitors to Mashiki Village can partake in several unique cultural experiences rooted in Ainu heritage and rural Hokkaido traditions. Participate in a Ainu storytelling session led by a local elder, where myths of the forest spirits and animal guardians are shared through rhythmic chants and hand drumming. Attend a traditional basket-weaving workshop using willow branches harvested sustainably from nearby wetlands. During winter, join a snow sculpture festival where locals carve intricate figures from compacted snow. You can also learn to prepare iriko (dried salmon) or taste freshly made mochi during seasonal festivals. These intimate, community-led events offer deep insight into the village’s spiritual connection with nature and ancestral customs.