[Hunting Experience in Ainan!] Jugai Tour to the Mountains with Hunters and Hunting Dogs

Located at the southernmost tip of Ehime Prefecture, Ainan Town is a beautiful seaside town. During the summer swimming season, it attracts many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture. However, the rural areas a little further from the sea also have plenty of charm! You can find a nostalgic yet new way of life and scenery of Japan there.

This article delves into the hunting tours of deer and wild boars that you can experience by staying at " Kaitaku-sha ," a secluded inn nestled in the quiet green countryside.

• Table of Contents
• What kind of accommodation is Kaitaku-sha?
• What is a Jyugai Tour?
• Playing and learning in the countryside
• You, the traveler, can be a force in community development.
• You can also enjoy outdoor cooking!
• schedule
• Jyugai Tour Summary

What kind of accommodation is Kaitaku-sha?

First, let me introduce you to what kind of accommodation Kaitaku-sha is.

Kaitaku-sha is a homestay-style farm stay inn where the rooms (3 in total) of the old farmhouse where the owner's family lives are used as guest rooms. It is not a hotel or a ryokan, but a small inn that accepts only one group per day, so please enjoy your stay as if you were staying at the home of relatives or friends living in a rural Japanese village.

Staying here allows you to experience a way of life that allows you to gently blend into the local community. You can enjoy a luxurious rural experience that is different from your everyday life, in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.

For those of you who feel unsatisfied with sightseeing that simply involves staying overnight and visiting tourist spots, we recommend a "traveling like a local" experience in rural Japan. A trip away from the hustle and bustle of cities and tourist destinations, where you can meet the people who live in the area and experience their way of life, is sure to be a special trip that will change your life.

Click here for the Kaitakusha official website.

How to access Kaitaku-sha

Kaitaku-sha is located in a rural village with no public transportation, so we recommend coming by car. Please rent a car to get here. There is a spacious parking lot in front of the garden, making it easy to access by car.

What is a Jyugai Tour?

Next, let me introduce the " Jugai Tour " offered by Kaitaku-sha.

The Jugai Tour is a hunting observation tour held only during hunting season, where you go into the mountains with hunters and hunting dogs and accompany them on deer and wild boar hunts (gun hunting). Through hunting, you can learn about the current situation and challenges of "wildlife damage" (damage to agriculture and forestry caused by wild birds and animals), the meaning of life, and experience the profoundness of hunting and the charm of rural life.

Playing and learning in the countryside

Hike the mountains, sharpen your senses, and rediscover your wild side!

Hunting with hunting dogs doesn't always guarantee a catch. It's a battle of wits between the hunter, who has become one with the dog, and the clever animals—a true test of skill.

If you're lucky, you might see hunting dogs leaping at animals, or a "sleeping boar" where hunting dogs chase down a sleeping boar in the bushes and the hunter takes it down with a gun.

The guide is a hunter who is a "guardian of the forest" and accompanied by hunting dogs.

The guide will be Shunsuke Kimura, a senior hunter and mentor to the owner of Kaitaku-sha. He will share his extensive experience, information on the ecology of wild animals, and wisdom rooted in rural life, such as edible wild plants and nuts.

To live is to receive life.

A great senior hunter from the Minami-Uwa Hunting Association brought down a massive wild boar weighing over 100 kg. Its size is immediately apparent when compared to the hunting dogs. High-quality, fatty meat was obtained from this large boar. Walking through the countryside and witnessing hunting firsthand allows you to share an invaluable experience of appreciating life.

You, the traveler, can be a force in community development.

Photography: Yoshino Kaako

"We want to protect our homeland by respectfully utilizing the lives of deer and wild boars that have been captured for human convenience."

With such passionate feelings, my mentor, Mr. Kimura, established the wild game processing facility "Ainan Gibier." The owner of Kaitaku-sha is also a member of Ainan Gibier. When travelers visit Ainan Town, participate in the Jugai tour, eat gibier, and shop, they are helping to protect the forest ecosystem and support sustainable community development.

You can also enjoy outdoor cooking!

Kaitaku-sha is basically a lodging facility that does not charge for accommodation (lodging and meals are separate), but we can also provide an optional "Ainan Gibier & Seasonal Seafood BBQ Set".

Regarding ingredients, we source high-quality venison and wild boar meat from Ainan Gibier. Since the meat is processed and managed safely for consumption, even those who are trying gibier for the first time can enjoy it with peace of mind. Of course, our vegetables and seafood are also fresh and locally sourced from Ainan, Ehime Prefecture.

The "Ainan Gibier & Seasonal Seafood BBQ Set" includes all the necessary BBQ equipment and ingredients (deer and wild boar meat, vegetables, seafood, and rice balls). Enjoy the bounty of Ainan's mountains and sea grilled over charcoal.

*Since outdoor BBQs in winter (especially during dinner) can be cold, we provide outdoor stoves. To ensure everyone can enjoy a comfortable BBQ even in the cold season, please take appropriate precautions against the cold.

*If you wish to participate, please choose either lunch or dinner according to your schedule and make a reservation in advance via the official website below.

✸Please bring your own drinks. ✸The menu may be subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients. ✸Reservations are accepted for parties of 2 or more.

schedule

① Morning Plan

- Checked in to Kaitaku-sha the previous day / stayed overnight.

• Dinner (Ainan wild game & seasonal seafood BBQ or restaurant)

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Departure from Kaitaku-sha

9:30 Arrival at the location and start of the Jugai tour.

11:30 Jugai Tour ends

12:00 Arrive at Kaitaku Lodge (Check-out / Departure or Lunch)

13:00 Lunch (Optional: Ainan wild game & seasonal seafood BBQ or a restaurant)

15:00 Check-out / Departure

② Afternoon Plan

13:00 Check-in at Kaitaku-sha / Overnight stay

13:30 Departure from Kaitaku-sha

14:00 Arrival at the location and start of the Jugai tour.

16:00 Jugai Tour ends

16:30 Arrived at Kaitaku's lodge

18:00 Dinner (Ainan wild game & seasonal seafood BBQ or restaurant)

The next day, check out of Kaitaku-sha / depart.

Jyugai Tour Summary

• Event period: November 1st to March 15th (deer and wild boar hunting season)

• Duration: 2 hours

• Minimum number of participants: 2 to 4 people

For the latest information on fees and other details, please visit the official website below.

Various activities can be found here.

✸This activity is for hotel guests only. ✸Please note that it may be canceled due to weather conditions or other reasons. ✸If you wish to participate, please make a reservation through the official website below.

Book a room at Kaitaku-sha