Rikugeian AirBnB

六芸庵
Hut fees to be paid
Booking required
Has stove/heating
Has water source
Has full kitchen
Has full bedding
Has toilets
Mobile reception
Accessible by bicycle

Posted on Mar 26, 2020
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Posted on Mar 26, 2020

0 0
Somewhere in the AirBnB house notes, this gorgeous down-to-earth Japanese-style accommodation is referred to as a 'hut'. By any normal standards, however, this fully-featured, incredibly functional ski touring base is anything but a hut. There's an interior charcoal pit, futons, wood stove, decorative snowboards adorning the walls, heating, water, shower...everything you'd expect from an AirBnB. Rikugeian (六芸庵) isn't a mountain hut - realistically it's up to an hour drive to most serious backcountry ski touring terrain. But it's right next to the delightfully local Pippu Ski area (and attached onsen hotspring), so makes for a really affordable location to base oneself out of for a week or so for exploring the northern Daisetsuzan range. Daytrips to Kuro-dake, the Kitami Pass area, Teshio-dake, and Horokanai are well within reach.

Location

Rikugeian (location) sits just down the road from Pippu Ski Area, just north of Ashahikawa City in central northern Hokkaido. To the north is the expansive Teshio Mountains area (天塩山地), to the east is the northern Daisetsu Range (北大雪), and to the west are the low-lying (but incredibly cold) Horokanai hills.

General notes

Rikugeian isn’t a hut per se. But it’s a rustic, Japanese-style AirBnB that oozes functionality. The entrance area and kitchen is a traditional doma earthen floor (土間), there’s a traditional irori Japanese sunken hearth (囲炉裏), tatami sleeping areas, and a ski/board waxing station. Add to that the modern luxuries of always-on heating (and good insulation), shower/bath, full guest kitchen, towels, and washing machine, and this has to be one of the best-value AirBnB for backcountry skiers in northern Hokkaido.

Capacity
Sleeps 6 people.
Official contact
Shinji-san (真司さん)
URL: https://www.airbnb.jp/rooms/9715100
Maintenance
Dohoku Takken
有限会社 道北宅建
Booking

Rokugeian must be booked ahead via AirBnB (listing here). Bookings are for the whole house, so get in quick if you know you’re needing accommodation in northern central Hokkaido. After booking, the owner will ask (via AirBnB message) for photos of an official ID for each guest to be sent to him in advance (such as passport, drivers license etc).

Hut Fees

Nightly fees start at 6,000yen per night for the whole house for up to two people. For each extra person, it’s an extra 2,000yen per night, up to six people max.

Facilities

Heating: The house is heated mainly with a large vented kerosene heater, always set at 25°C. Multiple signs around the walls tell people not to change the temperature on the heater. There’s also a separate wood stove in the kitchen, but there doesn’t seem to be any wood supplied. Even if there was, the wood stove is in a relatively inconvenient location – there isn’t really enough room to set up chairs around the fire.

Water: There is water piped to the house. The AirBnB listing boasts that the water at Rikugeian is particularly delicious.

Kitchen/cooking: There are a number of portable casetto-conro gas burners in the kitchen. We used these to cook nabe hotpot on the living room low table. Bring your own threadless gas canisters (like this) to use these portable gas burners. Casette-konro gas canisters are available in all supermarkets and many convenience stores. There’s also a large supply of charcoal, as well as fire-starters. Use this in the indoor firepit for your indoor yakiniku BBQ parties. The kitchen is well supplied with plates, cutlery, pots, pans, and other essential kitchen items. There’s a fridge and microwave too. This AirBnB cannot supply meals – it’s self-catering only. There are plenty of supermarkets and convenience stores in nearby towns.

Bedding: Clean futons (futon mats and duvets) and pillows are supplied.

Elecricity: There is mains electricity in the house.

Toilets: There’s one flushable toilet in the house.

Cell reception: Docomo worked well, Softbank not so much. We didn’t check AU. There’s also high-speed WIFI available.

Hutkeeper

We didn’t see the owner of the house when we were there. Location of the key will be communicated in advance via AirBnB.

Related Maps

NOTE: For number references to official printed topographical maps, check the main route report ( Chitokaniushi-yama Ski Touring ).

Special Rikugeian  Hut Notes

Follow the guidance on the AirBnB House Guidebook regarding usage notes, garbage disposal and sorting, and other special requirements.

Rikugeian Hut Photo Gallery

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ADVANCED FILTERS

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About Filters

REGION: The general mountain/geographical region the route is in.

BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.

DIFFICULTY: How strenuous a route is, and how technical it is. Full details here.

FREERIDE/SKITOUR: Very subjective, but is a route more-of-a-walk-than-a-ski or the other way around? Some routes are all about the screaming downhill (freeride), some are more about the hunt for a peak or nice forest (ski-tour). Some are in between. 

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Rikugeian AirBnB Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

Totals

25/100

GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.