historical and traditional touches of old Japan still remain, the visitors will be able to get in touch with nature, culture and the traditional lifestyle of Japan, thus broadening their understanding of Japan and its people. On the other hand, local residents can communicate with the foreigners naturally, through friendship events held in their community and in daily life, coming into contact with them on many occasions. Such exchanges promote international friendship as well as understanding."
The table lists an outline of the six facilities. The first one is the newly constructed Fukiya Villa, 1000 years ago the region thrived as a copper mine. Howevet, due to a drift of people away from the area and rapid aging of the remaining residents, numbers have declined. Despite the resulting depopulation, the old townscape remains as it was back then. Today the City Planning Department designates it a Traditional Houses Preservation Area and the villa has been designed to represent the soy sauce storehouse which stood during the late-Edo period.
Secondly, we have Koshihata Villa, a thatched farmhouse which had been deserted for the same reasons as those in the Fukiya region. Okayama Prefectural Government designated the Koshihata region as a Hometown Village and converted the house to provide accommodation for travelers.
Ushimado Villa is a newly built European-style facility. Located in the Ushimado region known as "Japan's Aegean Sea," the villa has a large glass-covered terrace commanding a view of the Inland Sea.
The fourth one is Hattoji Villa which the prefecture remodeled, updating it from an old thatched house which once belonged to a villager, to accommodation for foreigners.
The fifth one is Tatebe Villa. There is a hot spring in this region and when a Hot Spring Center was constructed by the town, the villa, financed by Okayama Prefecture, was built along with it. Therefore, guests staying in the villa can bathe in the hot spring free of charge. Unlike hot springs often seen in other parts of Japan, it is not an entertainment spot, but a peaceful place with only a couple of hot spring inns by the riverside. Finally, Shiraishi-jima Island Villa is the only International Villa found in a city area. The island is isolated and both aging and depopulation are occurring in the region.
The next page of the material reads "Considering regional balance throughout the prefecture, places with special features and characteristics are selected and ....." As you see in the pamphlet, a map of Okayama Prefecture is shown, indicating those Villas and their well selected locations. Although the management of each villa is entrusted to its respective local authority, they all operate as one system.
For example, the facility shown on the next page has five guest rooms and a hall where an exchange program can be conducted. It also has a communal kitchen equipped with a rice cooker, microwave oven and gas equipment, plus dining, laundry and toilet rooms, and although not specified in the material, bicycles are also available. Meals are not served and guests must cook their own meals.
As I mentioned before, the International Villa can be used only by non-Japanese membership holders. The only exception is for Japanese people accompanying a foreign guest for the purpose of international exchange. They are able to stay in the villa but membership is only allowed for foreigners.
Room charges are \2,500 per night for members and \3,000 for non-members. In the cases of Koshihata and Hattori villas, remodeled from old farming houses, the whole villa may be reserved if desired since the rooms are all Japanese style without locks.
Operation and management of the International Villa is entrusted to each local authority. These authorities cover the operating costs using the income from room charges; Okayama Prefecture does not finance its operation. In order to operate these facilities both effectively and consistently throughout the region, the
