"As Miyazaki-esque locales go, you can’t do much better than Niigata Prefecture, home to a sizable portion of the so-called Japanese Alps and a correspondingly healthy supply of alpine views. Satoyama Jujo, sequestered deep within that enchanting mountainscape, blends eco-conscious boutique sensibilities with the region’s centuries-old <em>kominka</em> tradition: rural, wooden-frame homesteads designed to withstand harsh local winters while maintaining the bright, clean, and tranquil benchmarks of classic Japanese interior design. This synthesis — part lodge, part resort, part hot-spring retreat — more than makes up for the relative seclusion (and the multiple meters of seasonal snowfall, which may or may not appeal)." - Tablet Hotels