Meet Yukiko and Robert Lunday

Tiny World Tours friends and collaborators Yukiko and Robert Lunday welcome adult guests for short homestays at their farmhouse in Yamaga, Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan. With over twenty years of rural homestay experience, they offer a thoughtful base for exploring the rhythms of local life and the cultural depth of the region. Robert is a poet, essayist, and teacher whose work spans Japan and the U.S. Yukiko is a guide and spiritual practitioner drawing on Japanese traditions of awareness and renewal. Together, they create an atmosphere of reflection, creativity, and welcome.

Guests gain a resident’s perspective on Yamaga. Depending on the season, activities may include hiking mountain trails, swimming in clear streams beneath waterfalls, exploring ancient kofun burial mounds, soaking in hot springs, or joining festivals and community gatherings. Meals often feature fresh local ingredients. The Lundays also keep horses, and guests may observe and interact with them; Yukiko’s practice brings people and horses together to cultivate presence, connection, and mutual trust—an uncommon window into Japanese relationships with nature and spirit.

Rates: ¥18,000 (about $120 USD) per person per night, including breakfast, and a host-led program. Two-night immersion (with a full activity schedule each day): ¥35,000 (about $234 USD) per person.

Getting here: Because of the rural location, it is highly recommended that guests obtain an international driver’s license and rent a car from the Kumamoto or Fukuoka airports to reach the homestay and to explore the area. Driving allows you to enjoy nearby hot springs, mountain trails, and festivals at your own pace. For those unable to drive, arrangements for pickup and touring may be available by prior request for an additional fee.

Within 1 hour’s drive you can visit: