Tarochan House

We had an absolutely wonderful stay and would definitely stay again, if we are ever in the area. Admittedly, I chose Tarochan House because it was near to Makiba stables, where we planned to go horse riding, but I am so glad I did, as it provided a much-needed respite from hotels and restaurant food.It's an interesting region, in a flat valley and with farmland all around. The narrow road that the house sits on is lined with little houses, many seemingly abandoned, and woods along one side from which you can often find deer peeking through. The neighborhood felt very safe though, and seems populated predominantly with older people.When we arrived, we were thrilled when a family of cats came out to greet us. Apparently, they are feral (though fed by one of the neighbors) and one should be warned that you should wash your hands after touching them, due to their living in close proximity to foxes. We, however, thoroughly enjoyed looking out the window and watching them explore and play together.The house itself is a typical old Japanese home but is extremely clean and has been well-equipped with all modern necessities (except, sadly, a toaster, although I made do with the frying pan). The toilet and bathroom look fairly newly done up, and include a big shiny washer/dryer combo.There is one "western-style" bedroom with a double bed and a Japanese-style room that can accommodate two (or three, in a pinch) futons. The bedding was lovely and comfortable, with thick fluffy duvets.The living room has a gorgeous view of grassy meadows dotted with wildflowers and mountains in the distance, and with the sliding door open, you can hear the rushing sound of a river nearby. There is a little wood deck and garden but sadly we did not enjoy it much as there were tons of bugs flying around (June). We thus contented ourselves with keeping the living room door open and the mesh screen firmly closed.As mentioned by others, the one issue is that the closest town is around a 30-minute drive (we came through Engaru and recommend stocking up at Co-op Sapporo Engaru Minami supermarket). I think there are a few places to eat in the neighbourhood and you can also request dinners be prepared and brought to the house. However, we planned to cook all our own meals during our stay and had to make do when we arrived and realized we had forgotten to buy a few staple ingredients. Plan to cook simple meals as the stove is not the most powerful.Last minor quibble is that the wifi isn't great, but then you didn't come all the way out here to look at your screens, right?The couple who own the house were very kind and helpful throughout our stay and the wife speaks excellent English.