Healing Treehouses Near Tokyo Open for Booking, Along with Nordic Tents and Century-Old Traditional Houses

Located about an hour's drive from Tokyo in Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, lies a hidden forest retreat called "Washinmura." Created by Taiwanese operator TK Lin, the park centers around the concept of "living in the forest," combining sustainable architecture, animal coexistence, and natural healing to become a new option for slow travel near Tokyo.

Washinmura features a diverse range of accommodations, including treehouses built with CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber), a traditional Japanese house over 200 years old, and Nordic-style tents. Among them, the CLT treehouse is seen as a signature highlight, emphasizing the insulation and soundproofing qualities of wooden architecture, and bringing in forest views through large windows. The traditional house preserves a conventional living space, presenting the everyday life of the Japanese countryside. The tents selected are Nordisk Asgard Nordic tents, with two currently available. The park also shelters cats, dogs, and goats, which freely roam the woods, allowing guests to interact with the animals from a respectful distance.

Washinmura's "Village Chief" TK Lin stated that currently about 90% of the guests are domestic Japanese visitors, relying primarily on word-of-mouth and return visits. The return rate is approximately 50%, and it has long been considered a suburban secret "known only to the Japanese." As images of forest living and animal interactions are increasingly shared on social media platforms, the location has begun to attract attention from international tourists, emerging as a novel accommodation spot that is not yet highly commercialized but holds great potential.

With rising international visibility, Washinmura has recently opened online booking and introduced package experiences combining accommodation, meals, and transportation. Focusing on small groups and customized itineraries, it lowers language and transportation barriers. The operator is also running a giveaway until May 31, where the winner can bring three friends or family members to the hidden Japanese cedar forest. From the moment they arrive in Tokyo, a private car and a Chinese-speaking butler will accompany them throughout the trip. The total value of this three-day, two-night itinerary is 168,000 NTD.

Additionally, the travel e-commerce platform KKday announced today (28th) that it is deepening its partnership with JR East. Routes covering Aomori, Iwate, Karuizawa, Kanazawa, Yamagata, and Fukushima can now be booked through the platform, introducing more travel products that combine rail transport with local experiences to enhance traveler freedom and convenience. JR East is one of Japan's largest railway companies, with a network spanning Tokyo, Tohoku, and the Koshinetsu regions, including vital routes like the Yamanote Line and Tohoku Shinkansen, and extending to diverse services like station malls and hotels. KKday currently offers products such as the "JR East Rail Pass" and "JR Tokyo Wide Pass," allowing travelers to finalize transportation plans and even book specific trains and seats before departure, eliminating the hassle of buying tickets and arranging itineraries locally.

Furthermore, from now until August 31, 2026, visitors spending over 5,001 yen (excluding tax) on electronics and cosmetics at Bic Camera in Japan can enjoy designated discounts by showing a promo code. Travelers can save it on their phones beforehand and present it at checkout. Bic Camera currently calculates electronics and cosmetics separately, so care must be taken when applying the discount.