Shiki no Yado
A Cozy Stay - Perfect for Exploring Yakushima
Located at the base of Mt Mocchomu in Yakushima, Shiki no Yado is one of the most delightful minshuku I’ve experienced in my remote travels in Japan. A minshuku is essentially a family-run traditional Japanese B&B. Generally more simplistic and rustic than a luxurious ryokan, minshuku’s allow an opportunity to see how local people in the area live. Depending on the minshuku, you may have meals with the family or you may not (generally breakfast & dinner are included in the prices) In some areas of Japan, a minshuku or farmstay may be the only accommodation option available. .
Shiki no Yado has 6-8 rooms/condo house options to stay in, it is rated the #1 minshuku on the island by tripadvisor, so it is extremely popular. We were lucky that we were travelling off-peak time and I managed to secure a booking well in advance to be safe.
Read about how we spent our time in Yakushima here.
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I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Every property and destination featured on this website has been personally experienced by the writer, and are their personal thoughts and opinions.
Imposing Mt Mocchomu
The mountain has been worshipped by the local people from ancient times and is considered a sacred mountain. Located in the south east of Yakushima, Mt Mocchomu is beloved by hikers for the wild formation of rocks and the view of the ocean from the summit. It’s about 980m in elevation, and is an imposing site. The hike is recommended for intermediate to advance hikers and you can find more information here (we didn’t hike it, too busy exploring elsewhere).
Self Cooked BBQ Dinners at Shiki no Yado
Dinner was an impressive hearty local fare, with the family sourcing animal produce from local fisherman, and meats from mainland Kagoshima. The majority of the vegetables, fruit & eggs are from their own garden patch on the premises. A truly delicious and impressive local feast.
If the weather is good, they organise dinner on one of their larger terraces, perfect for star gazing amidst clear night skies! However we generally had rain during the evenings so enjoyed bbq-ing our dinners in their undercover eating hall. Below was our simple but yummy Japanese style breakfast.
UPDATE 2026
Shiki no Yado no longer provides a dinner service. Breakfast is still available. There are various restaurants available in the neighbouring town of Anbo (20mins drive away). There is also the grocery store A-Coop available.
Six of their rooms have kitchen facilities, so you can easily cook for yourself. If you book a room that has no kitchen facilities, there is a toaster and microwave available for use in the breakfast dining room.
Relaxing & Simple Accommodation
Unfortunately I didn’t take many photos of our room back then, as I was just too busy planning our days in Yakushima. We had a simple Japanese tatami room, with a private bathroom and semi open-air bathtub. You can find the style of room we stayed in here. Perfect for 2 people, as some of their other accommodation is for families or larger groups. Our room had no kitchen.
All rooms have their own private ensuite.
There are 4 rooms with open air baths (not onsen).
6 rooms have kitchen facilities.
Shiki no Yado really was a wonderful first time Minshuku experience, and for me personally it set the bar for future minshuku experiences. I do hope one day you get to stay there, but book far in advance! They are very popular!
