ume, is a resort in the eastern corner of Yamazoe village, Nara.
It is made up of only three rooms, made in the reformed house of the former village mayor located at the top of a small hamlet.

Many people who would not normally interact are brought together as come in search of this environment.
Here, they can look out from the mountaintop at the faces of nature as they change with the seasons, the days, and the hours.
At ume,yamazoe, an unexpected something is born every moment.
Sitting in the sauna warmed by gently burning firewood,
talking nonchalantly with the village residents, taking a short walk in the nearby mountains…
We hope your heart is warmed and fulfilled, slowly and surely.
With this hope in mind, we grown and nurture this environment.
We believe that the experience of one day,
that one small encounter can create a crossroad in someone’s life.
This location is somewhat inconvenient, with no cellular reception or convenient stores,
but it has all we need to live peacefully and gently.

Maybe one day you will remember the time you spent at ume,
and it will warm your heart. That is the ideal we continue to strive for.

HOUSE

We have renovated a house that was constructed well over 100 years ago.
This was the former residence of Mr. Kitai, the village mayor of what was once Hatano village.

This house boasts supporting beams unseen in modern architecture, intricately carved transoms, and symbolic plum trees, all carefully preserved.
Back then, houses were constructed with hard-earned money and much feeling, time, and hard work.
The old designs have cracks and slits for air to pass through, which sometimes allows small creatures of nature to enter indoors, but we have left them uncovered to preserve the essence of this house, which has stood guard over the surrounding land for many years.

AREA

Yamazoe village was formed through the merger of three villages.
It has a combination of cultures from Nara, Kyoto, and Mie, and has accepted many changes to evolve to what it is today.
This region has kept the customs of old, while living with the modern-day society.
The traveling vendors of fish and tofu still make their rounds through the village, carrying with them not only their goods but also information, safety, and something for those in the area to look forward to.

FOOD

At ume, we greatly value the tradition of eating meals together. Those who have gathered that day will sit down in the same place to eat together the food of that season.
It is said that “Washoku”, or Japanese food, is made up of five aspects, summation, harmony, calmness, softness, and peacefulness. All of these aspects contain the same character of 和 (wa).
We hope that through your meal, you can feel the moment present only in this time and place.
The meal is made up of ingredients grown and made in the surrounding area.
Our meals can be adapted to meet the needs of allergies, as well as vegetarian and halal diets.
We hope you find peace of heart through “washoku”.

PEOPLE

We at ume, strive to be people who are kind to others.
This does not necessarily mean trying to lend a helping hand at all times. At ume, we ask for the help of those with disabilities or sicknesses, and the elderly in the neighborhood.
This is because many different people must all work in harmony to make a good society.
We believe that a kind person is one who accepts differences in people with an open heart.

NATURE

In this age, we continually strive for convenience and luxury, and any information we want is at our fingertips. We think that the most interesting and fun thing in modern life, the most uncontrollable, simple, and sometimes inconvenient thing is being in nature.
If we throw ourselves into the vastness of nature, we can realize just how big our world is. If we go to pick vegetables in the spring, we can realize that the different plants growing by our feet have their own names, and that some of them are good to eat. If we look into the river in the summer, we can see the beautiful world of fish that we might not have noticed from the surface.
There are many seasonal activities that we can experience at ume, and at Yamazoe village.
If you are interested in more details on these events, please check our Instagram.
Please be aware that we cannot always guarantee a spot in these events due to timing.