Welcome to your home away from home on Ōmishima island! “Benton Guesthouse” is a former abandoned ‘akiya’ that we’ve lovingly renovated into our Shōwa-era private guesthouse vacation rental. You can experience slow life in the ‘inaka’ Japanese countryside, just minutes from the Shimanami Kaido.
Now accepting bookings via AirBnB » Click Here!
Our home is a true Shōwa-era style countryside home. This house was formerly an ‘akiya’ abandoned for 10 years. It was built in 1953 with traditional Japanese joinery. The furnishings are simple, not overly fancy, but they’re era-appropriate and true to the history of the home. We’ve embellished the ‘natsukashii’ nostalgic feel of the house with era-appropriate furnishings found in local thrift shops, and given to us by our neighbors.
We’ve been documenting the entire remodeling process on our YouTube channel and our photo blog, so you can watch us bring this ‘akiya’ back to life! We have the blessing of the former owner’s son, who grew up in the house; he’s now in his 70s, and lives nearby. We’re doing our best to honor this home’s history, while solidifying its place in Ōmishima’s future.
Location: Imabari, Ehime, Japan.
Neighborhood: Ōmishima island, Kamiura-cho Inokuchi.
Situated very close to the Ōmishima Bridge and Tatara Bridge, part of the Shimanami Kaido.
Address (English): 2290 Kamiura-cho Inokuchi, Imabari-shi, Ehime-ken 794-1402
Address (Japanese): 〒794-1402 愛媛県今治市上浦町井口2290
Vacation rental for 1 to 6 guests.
Bedrooms: 1 Western-style bedroom suite, 1 Japanese-style bedroom, 1 living room/bedroom. You will also have access to a full kitchen, office, living room, bathroom (toilet room, laundry room, shower room), ‘doma’ entrance room, and traditional ‘engwa’. These rooms are for your own use. Whether you’re a group of 1 or a group of 6, we only host one group at a time.
Parking: Our driveway can park 1 or 2 vehicles. We have outside covered space for bicycle parking.
Our YouTube photo slideshow showing before/after photos ⌄
Our YouTube photo slideshow showing Benton Guesthouse, ready to welcome our first guests! ⌄