Here is everything you might want to know while you are with us. Please feel free to open this page at any point during your stay.
Earthen walls and exposed beams left over from the building’s days as a barn. The grassy scent of Ryukyu tatami. Soft lamplight, and a record playing. Time away from the rush of ordinary life.
The stillness of a dark night, the brightness of the moon and stars, insects singing, wind moving through the trees, birdsong at dawn. We hope you will take in everything Mannou has to offer.
Soak in the wood-fired bath until you are warm through, have a quiet drink at the bar, then walk back and fall asleep. We call it “Bar To Bed,” and we would love you to try it.
A drink after your bath, and when sleep starts to come, the next door along is your bed. It is about as good as an evening gets.
We will give you the door code when you check in.
We have free Wi-Fi provided by USEN.
Choosing the network on its own will not connect you. Please open a browser and go all the way through to that last button. If it does not work, just come and find us.
You are welcome to eat here whenever Nomad Mannou is open. Lunch is served every day except Tuesday and Wednesday; dinner is generally Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
No reservation is needed — please just come by during opening hours.
For udon shops, cafes, hot springs and farm stands in the area, we have put together a guide called Gururi — Around the Inn. It shows you which places are open right now.
The second floor is set up as a coworking space. As a guest staying with us you are welcome to use it free of charge, with no need to order anything. You are of course very welcome to order a coffee or something else to drink.
There will be other customers about at times, but it is a calm place to get work done.
The second floor is available during our opening hours. Daytime is every day except Tuesday and Wednesday; evenings are generally Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Outside those hours, please make yourself comfortable in your room.
Now and then the second floor is given over to an event. If you already know when you will want to work, do let us know in advance and we will tell you how that day is looking.
There is a bin in your room for everyday rubbish. For anything else, please gather it into a plastic bag and leave it — we will take care of it.
There is an ashtray at the entrance to the wooden deck. Please smoke there.
Your room is built from natural materials — earthen walls and tatami. These absorb scent readily, and once a fragrance settles into them it is very difficult to lift out again.
For that reason, we would be grateful if you could avoid using perfume, aroma oils and other strong scents indoors. We would like the guest who comes after you to breathe the air of this room just as it is. Thank you for your understanding.
We are surrounded by nature here, so now and then a gecko or a spider finds its way inside. Spiders are welcome company — they keep other insects down and do no harm. And in Japan a gecko in the house is said to be a guardian that brings good fortune.
If you do meet one, it will dart away in its own rather endearing manner. Please simply let it be.
Our bath is a goemon-buro — a cast-iron tub heated by a wood fire burning directly underneath it. You can fill it with gas simply by turning the tap, but if you have the time, we would love you to light the fire instead.
Feeding the wood, coaxing the fire along, and waiting for the water to come up to temperature. It is an experience modern life rarely offers. The warmth of water heated by fire settles into you in a way that is hard to put into words.
In winter you will be warmed right through and can go to bed still glowing. In summer, air conditioning cools you more than you realise, and a soak here sends you off to sleep easily. The water stays warm until morning, so you are welcome to have another soak when you wake.
On evenings when the bar is open, a drink afterwards makes for our “Bar To Bed.”
That allows about 13 minutes to fill the tub, plus the time it takes to heat — roughly an hour in summer and two in winter. Starting a little early leaves you room to take it easy.
Everything you need — firewood, newspaper, cardboard and the gas torch — is kept beside the firebox. We will show you where when you arrive.
Sink the wooden board and stand on that. The bottom of the tub sits directly over the fire, and putting your foot straight onto it will burn you. The board floats, so press it down with your foot as you step in.
Test the water with your hand. It can become hot enough to scald. If it is too hot, run in cold water until it comes down to a comfortable temperature.
There is no need to do anything about the fire — we will check on it ourselves.
And if lighting it feels like more than you fancy, just say the word and we will do it for you.
The water we use here runs straight into the river. To keep our impact on the water and soil as small as we can, we have chosen a highly biodegradable detergent, and we would be grateful if you would use ours when you do your laundry.
They sit right by the firebox of the wood-fired bath. There are no set hours, so please use them whenever suits you. Detergent is sold at the Nomad counter — please pick some up before you start.
They work like any ordinary automatic washer and dryer.