La toile (Review)
Scandinavian-style Cabin in the North of Shikoku
La toile is a renovated Japanese house to rent for a vacation, located in Mitoyo City, in Kagawa Prefecture in the north of Shikoku Island. This comfortable and tastefully decorated traditional lodge provides its guests an insight on the Japanese countryside.
Named in French, La toile is a vacation house located in the Japanese countryside that welcomes travelers touring Kagawa prefecture on Shikoku Island. This independent residence in Mitoyo City is located:
- A 45 minutes’ drive to the west of Takamatsu;
- About 15 km from Marugame’s authentic castle, on the Seto Inland Sea; and,
- A few kilometers west to the famous Kompira-san shrine in Kotohira.
While not served by train 🚅, the place remains a comfortable drive with an easy access to the surroundings sites, or just enjoy a deserved break staying there. On a private and family-friendly parcel, the house surrounded by green landscapes beautifully illustrates the concept of satoyama: a village where tea fields and other agricultural lands exploited by humans coexist harmoniously with the forest and a river, here on the shore of the Takase river.
Renovated countryside rental house
Inaugurated in October 2018, La toile is the renovated and modern version of a rural home built in the 1950s. The inside provides the atmosphere of a Scandinavian cabin through the choice of concrete for building the floor and the walls, with a warmer accent brought by the wood used for beams and furniture. Each room is fitted with small household appliances and the necessary items for the daily life, such as:
- A kitchen, fully equipped and ready to use;
- A bathroom, fitted with a bath tube; and,
- A lounge with a wood burning stove, convenient and comfortable to heat the place in winter.
An outdoor wooden stilt terrace has been constructed as an extension of the ground floor’s living area. A trellis supports beautiful wisteria vines that bloom every year.
The house has 2 rooms, each with a different set-up:
- A Japanese-style room with a tatami floor and futon bedding to unroll before sleeping; and,
- A Western-style room with 2 intermediate-size beds of 120 cm width.
La toile can therefore accommodate at least 2 persons and up to 6 guests maximum. Children benefit from a discounted price. The house is to be rent as a whole and cannot be divided into several groups of travelers.
La toile is recommended for those who would like to enjoy a slower travel and stay a few days in autonomy in Shikoku’s countryside. A udon noodles restaurant, a FamilyMart konbini and a local grocery market are available in the vicinity for food shopping.