GREEN-INN　

Our commitment to green practices

 

From our energy practices to our organic homemade bread and green smoothies made from leafy veggies grown on-site, we endeavor to provide you with an all-around earth-friendly luxury experience.

 

We source organic foods and use organic cleaning supplies and LED lights.  Our B&B is powered partly by solar energy year-round, and by local firewoods during the winter.

 

Our commitment to green living began at the very beginning of our journey. Our guest house is located in an old folk house, originally built in 1955 by my grandparents. In our renovation we exclusively used local timber, and recycled aspects of the old house such as sliding doors and windows whenever we could.  Since then, we've installed an independent solar power system and energy monitor to track our usage. We try to keep our environmental footprint small, using LED lights in all of the guest rooms, and recycled bath water for our laundry.

 

We grow our own vegetables without pesticides, and source local rice, eggs, vegetables, honey, and other foods. We also make our own organic bread, granola, peanut butter, and Nutella on site.

 

We try to share our green practices with our community, networking with like-minded producers and individuals to support and learn from each other. We work together with some of the local forestry-related companies to promote their efforts to manage the woodland in a sustainable way, and offer our guests their products as a memento of their stay with us.  We hold yoga and organic bread baking lessons to promote a healthy lifestyle, and participate in local tree planting activities as well.

 

During your stay, we would like to invite you to join in our green practices to make your stay green as well!  We believe simple actions make a huge difference.

 

During your stay with us we ask that you...

 

- Recycle plastic, paper, bottles and cans (please ask for assistance)

-Be mindful of the energy you use (switch off lights and other electric devices when you go out)

-Share your own green practices with us! We are always looking for ways to become even greener

 

We encourage you to explore our village too and see the efforts that we are making as a community to be kinder to our environment. Nishiawakura is nationally recognized by the government for its environmental initiatives, aiming to become a 100% energy self-sufficient local government by 2025.

 

While you're here we recommend:

 

-Walking and cycling to explore the village, and going hiking in the mountains

-Visiting some of the woodland and our two hydroelectric power generations to learn about the healthy forest management and energy production

-Relaxing at our local hot spring facilities, heated by firewood boilers

-Buying locally crafted goods made of local timber to support our village’s healthy forest management efforts

-Smiling and interacting with locals (your very presence contributes to revitalizing the area whose population is rapidly declining)

- Taking time to stay still and appreciate your surroundings every day