IMAZU, Shiga Pref. — Grabbing a firsthand taste of Japanese country life for a few days is proving to be a popular pursuit here, especially among children from the city.
Hakodateyama Minshuku Kumiai, an association of inns on Mount Hakodate in Imazu, northwestern Shiga Prefecture, began offering a holiday plan to this end in May 2001, in a bid to boost tourism during spring and summer.
Under the plan, visitors can immerse themselves in rural activities such as planting rice and making "soba" buckwheat noodles and straw.