Rice Field House, Kashiwara
Kashiwara, Shinanomachi, Nagano, Japan
Why We Selected It
Almost every old house in this part of Nagano needs two years of work before you can live in it. This one is already done — and done with real judgement. The original beams are exposed against new cedar ceilings, the walls are plastered white, the kitchen is a single concrete-topped island under reclaimed timber, and the whole south side opens onto a new deck that runs the length of the building. Beyond it there is nothing but rice, then mountains. It is the rare Japanese country house you can arrive at with a suitcase, in a village that has trains, snow and forest within minutes.
The Home
Detached two-storey timber house, freehold · Fully renovated inside and out — move-in ready
A 43-year-old timber house at Kashiwara in Shinanomachi, rebuilt from the frame out: charred-black cladding, a long pine deck facing open rice fields and the Nagano mountains, four bedrooms and a 36-tatami living room. Fourteen minutes on foot from Kurohime station, twenty from Myoko snow. Asking €312,000.
- Roughly 170 m² over two floors, built about 43 years ago in timber and fully renovated inside and out — no immediate maintenance outstanding.
- A 36-tatami open living, dining and kitchen space, Western-style in layout, with full-height sliding glazing on two sides.
- Kitchen built as an island in concrete and reclaimed board, with gas hob, integrated sink and open shelving for ceramics.
- Four bedrooms with exposed original beams, cedar-lined ceilings and framed windows onto the fields; two bathrooms, one with a bath over a tatami mat in size.
- A long pine deck along the south elevation, overlooking a large vegetable garden of over ten tatami mats.
- Seismic reinforcement carried out as part of the renovation; two parking spaces.
- Quiet residential position, currently unoccupied and available immediately.
Life Here
Stations
Kurohime station on the Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano line is a 14-minute walk — onward to Nagano in about 40 minutes, and Tokyo by shinkansen in around two hours total.
Skiing
Myoko Kogen, Madarao, Tangram and Kurohime Kogen are all within 15–30 minutes by car: deep, dependable snow from December to March, without Hakuba prices or crowds.
Summer
Lake Nojiri for swimming and boats, hiking on Mount Kurohime, onsen at Myoko, and a vegetable garden that actually produces in the long Nagano daylight.
Everyday
Shinanomachi covers daily shopping and clinics; Nagano city has department stores, hospitals and international schooling within a comfortable drive.
Our Perspective
Why it works
A finished, architecturally handled house with mountain and rice-field outlook, walking distance to a train station and minutes from four ski areas — the combination of renovated condition and genuine access is what is scarce here, not the land.
Ownership case
Works as a year-round base or a winter house with strong summer use. Its finish and layout also make it a credible short-let property through the ski season, subject to the usual minpaku registration.
What makes it special
Fully renovated from the frame out, with a 36-tatami living room and a long pine deck over open rice fields; Kurohime station is a fourteen-minute walk and four ski areas sit within fifteen to thirty minutes by car.
Best suited for
Buyers who want Nagano snow and countryside without a renovation project, and who value design and light over floor area or address.
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