It was built more than a century ago in the city of Kamogawa in Japan’s Chiba prefecture. Today, the renovated single-storey farmhouse is open for Airbnb reservations by those who want to experience living in a traditional Japanese house,

The Muji Base Kamogawa is operated by the Tokyo-based Ryohin Keikaku, which owns Japanese lifestyle juggernaut Muji.

The guest house, which is the former Noda Printmaking workshop, has a total floor area of 156 sq m. It is 90 minutes away from Tokyo by car, said the Airbnb listing. For now, it is open for bookings until March 2024, according to the Muji Base Kamogawa website.

The guest house is in a rural area near the Oyama Senmaida terraced rice fields in Kamogawa. The city is also known for its fishing communities and nature.

Guests can take part in activities such as melon harvesting and dairy farming, the company told Mainichi Shimbun.

The house can accommodate up to five people and has four traditional Japanese-style rooms as well as a kitchen, according to the Airbnb listing.

The Muji Base Kamogawa website states that it costs 55,000 yen (S$508) for a two-night stay, which is the minimum length of stay that can be booked.

As there are no staff at the guest house, travellers have to drive to a Muji shop located about five minutes away to get the keys, reported Nikkei Asia on Sunday.

The guest house will reportedly serve as a prototype for similar lodgings elsewhere.

About one-third of the reservations so far have come from abroad, including Asia and Europe, the company said.

In recent years, Ryohin Keikaku ventured into the hospitality sector with moves that included opening Muji Hotel Ginza in Tokyo in 2019. The company also operates hotels in Chinese cities such as Shenzhen and Beijing.