K's Garden is a hidden gem of a restaurant that serves homemade dishes using ingredients from Kumejima Island and accepts only two groups per day. The couple who run K's Garden (Nobu-chan and Kyo-chan) have opened a new private rental accommodation called "Shima no Yado Okaeri" in May 2022. With reasonable prices and a warm welcome from the couple, it is highly recommended for families.

Recommended for families! Affordable and comfortable whole-house rentals.

The primary appeal of Shima no Yado Okaeri is its reasonable pricing, starting from 4,650 yen per night (per person, based on room-only accommodation for four people sharing a room). During Kumejima's peak summer season, it's not uncommon for hotel room-only stays to cost over 10,000 yen per person per night. However, with Okaeri, you can get an extra night's stay for the same price, making it incredibly cost-effective.
The room is a 12-tatami mat Western-style studio apartment. There is ample space for children to play safely, and my child, who is not yet one year old, seemed to enjoy crawling around in the spacious room. It is also far enough away from the surrounding houses that it is not a problem if a child cries.
The room is fully equipped with bedding, a mattress, a kitchen sink, a medium-sized refrigerator, a microwave, a washing machine, a shower, a toilet, an electric kettle, a hairdryer, and Wi-Fi, so you can enjoy a comfortable stay.

Enjoy a more unique Okinawan experience with our "Breakfast with Harvest Experience Plan."

You can also add various Kumejima experience programs as an option. The most popular of these is the "Breakfast with Harvesting Experience Plan."
You can enjoy dishes made with fresh vegetables that you harvest yourself. On this day, we harvested Okinawan spinach (Handama) and chrysanthemum greens (Shungiku) and enjoyed a fragrant salad. The freshness of the Handama and the unique flavor of the chrysanthemum greens combined perfectly. We also harvested Shikuwasa citrus fruit, and learned that in winter it ripens from green to a mandarin orange color.
You can learn surprising facts about Okinawan vegetables and ingredients. This experience program is made possible because of Kyo-chan's garden, where she grows a variety of vegetables throughout the four seasons.
For breakfast, we enjoyed Okinawan home cooking, including Jushi (Okinawan mixed rice) and Usagi-jiru (miso soup made with fried fish).
What was particularly impressive was the fish soup, made using a whole Gurukun fish that Nobu-chan caught himself. The umami of the fish directly dissolved into the miso, and the fragrant oil from the fried fish added just the right amount of richness to the bowl, making it a truly moving and delicious dish.

A perfect base for exploring Kumejima Island! "Shima no Yado Okaeri" offers a relaxing atmosphere for families.

"Shima no Yado Okaeri" boasts a convenient location, just a 5-minute drive from the main area of ​​Kumejima Island, making it ideal for sightseeing. Popular spots such as Tomari Fisherina, where boats to Hatenohama Beach depart and arrive, the Kumejima Sea Turtle Museum, and Tatamiishi are all nearby.

For families looking to relax and enjoy the nature and sights of Kumejima, why not spend a memorable time at "Shima no Yado Okaeri"?

Yuhei Tonosho, a cyclist and photographer who delves deep into Japan

Born in 1993 in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Graduated from Doshisha University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Cultural History and Department of English Literature. While working as a salaryman, he is a travel writer who travels all over Japan by bicycle and mountain climbing. He captures and shares the changing seasons of Japan with all his senses.