【Communication from the local area】"Agriculture, forestry and fisheries and rural life" Farm stay to experience analog life (Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture)

This is the fourth installment of the series, "Good Travel ⇌ Communication from the Locals". This time, we received a contribution from Mr. Miyahara, who is in charge of the farm accommodation business at the Saikai City Hometown Resource Promotion Division in Nagasaki Prefecture. My encounter with Saikai City was reported in the news last year at a rice bowl fair in the city. There is a fishing spot in the good part of the bowl. Saikai City is a fishing paradise on the Rias coast. It is an interesting place for reporters who like fishing.
The text conveys the author's strong feelings. Still, I suppressed that feeling a little before it was published (laughs). Of course, those who are interested in farm stays. It is studded with words that I want people who live in the city but are interested in their hometown to read (editorial department).

As the name suggests, Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture is close to the westernmost tip of mainland Japan and is surrounded by Omura Bay, Goto Nada, Sasebo Bay, and the sea on three sides. It is a rural town located exactly between Nagasaki City and Sasebo City, the two largest cities in Nagasaki Prefecture.
This time, we would like to introduce the "Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Experience Vacation Rental (Farm Stay)" where you can enjoy life in Saikai City. In addition, I would like to write about my experience of changing my worldview through my work on farm stays and my expectations for farm stays.

About Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Experience Vacation Rental (Farm Stay)

Farm lodging is a new style of private lodging in which travelers stay in ordinary homes in the area and experience the life and culture of agriculture, fishing, forestry, etc., which have been passed down from the past.
Saikai City is a town with the sea on three sides and mountains on land, and is full of nature, so there are many residents who make a living from fishing and agriculture.

"Travel as if you were living" - Farm stays enjoy the rich life that has been carried out in this area.
Picking vegetables in the field, catching fish for side dishes, cooking with the people staying at the table, and sitting around the table, although it was the first time, it was warm and nostalgic. It is a "form of travel" that cannot be experienced at a hotel.

A nostalgic, warm, and enjoyable "farm stay" where you can enjoy learning about nature

In Xihai City, there are currently more than 40 farming households that accept travelers. In order to make the most of their family business, hobbies, and special skills, each family raised their hand to call for the acceptance of private lodgings.
Instead of going to the supermarket to buy side dishes for meals, we went to the mountains, to the sea, to the fields. There are people who go out to procure ingredients, as if they were going shopping.

There are familiar lives such as "fishing", "gathering", and even "plowing". People in the city may think that it is an inconvenient life, such as "there is no place to shop" or "there is no place to play".
However, this is the kind of self-sufficient life that we value and want to convey. Farm stays are not only a tourist resource, but also a variety of things that can be learned from nature for children who grew up in the city, who have never had much contact with the rich nature and rural air.

Why Saikai City is serious about farming

We want to increase the number of people involved in tourism and migration, not only to let people experience the region through farm stays.
Xihai City is currently accepting school trips. I hope that this will be an opportunity for children to get involved with Saikai City. I hope that it will not end with a one-time sightseeing, but will keep the connection so that you can feel the existence of Saikai City even if you are in a remote place.

On one occasion, I attended the entrance ceremony of a school trip student who came from the city to stay at a farm. Most of the students' faces were as if they were wondering what they had come here to do. After the initiation ceremony, the students spend their time in a strange home.

On the day of the departure ceremony, the students return to the same place after a farm stay.
The students get out of the car where they are staying at the farm with big smiles on their faces. The next day, as soon as they reunite with their friends, they start bragging about their experiences.
"We chopped wood and had a BBQ!" I fished in the sea!" I picked tangerines and made sweets!" I can't stop talking. Even if life is taken for granted in the countryside, it must be a valuable experience for students in the city.

What is even more moving is that there are students who shed tears when they say goodbye to their fathers and mothers. Even if it's just a few days, the time they spent together has become an irreplaceable memory for the students.
Witnessing such an emotionally moving spectacle confirms the splendor of Saikai City. We always learn from our students and feel warm.

The owner of the farm house says, "I want you to know Saikai City, where you can live with nature in a private lodging," and "I want it to be a cozy place where people who stay at the hotel will want to come back," and they always welcome travelers.

From now on, I would like to increase the number of people who have connections with the local community, regardless of distance, because the people who visited the farm stay will become fans of Saikai, and new opportunities will be born from this, and "I want to continue to be involved with Saikai City." I hope that some of them will start living in Saikai City in the future.
I can confidently say that the farm stay in Saikai City can be a catalyst for this.

A rich experience menu that you can enjoy at a farm stay in Saikai City

Saikai City is a town rich in nature surrounded by mountains and the sea.
"I want to know about agriculture and fisheries in the West Sea," "I want to interact with local people," "I want to enjoy nature," and other experiences unique to living in the West Sea. 。 Marine activities and experiences such as fishing, kayaking, and SUP, as well as manufacturing experiences using seashells and sea glass. There is a wide variety of hands-on menus, such as making local dishes such as pressed sushi and kankoro mochi.

In addition, they eat delicious tangerines, pull out large radishes with two people, and make a fire. I can't tell you enough (laughs). It has a tactile feeling, and please experience "something nostalgic living" that was commonplace until a long time ago.

at last

I was born and raised in the West Sea. I left my hometown for high school and university, and returned to Saikai City as soon as I got a job. When I was little, I used to swim in the sea and throw stones. We built secret bases in the mountains, gathered nuts, and climbed trees.
This is the norm, and in the past, we lived without noticing its goodness. However, it was only after leaving my hometown that I realized its charm.
In the West Sea, the uncle next door brings the fish he caught, and the aunt shares the vegetables and rice that he has accumulated. I think this kind of daily life is a very luxurious life.

There are a few buses and no trains in Saikai City. Public transportation is also not substantial.
That's why there is a relaxed and luxurious time.
In a rural but affluent environment, you can watch the sun set on the horizon while driving, and go to the sea and river with your children in the summer. In winter, potatoes are thrown into the bonfire. Breathe in fresh air with a full belly. Food, clothing, shelter, and people. It is a fulfilling town in all respects, and the warm life in the countryside creates new encounters and excitement.
"Travel as if you were living."
Please experience a new form of travel in Saikai City.