Amenities
Youkoso! Welcome!
Two languages and two cultures blend in this Japanese–American guest house, nestled in 21 forested acres high on a bluff in the scenic Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. Designed by a Japanese architect, it was built in 2000 and named by its owners — one Japanese, one American — after its stately white birch trees: Shirakaba. The house utilizes geothermal heating and air conditioning for eco-friendly.
Shed your shoes as you enter. Louise and Sadao will have slippers waiting for you. Slip out of your western wear and into a traditional cotton yukata; your hosts have these comfortable robes in just your size, even if you're a kid. Then settle into Matsu No Ma, the Pine Suite with its king–size Tempur–Pedic bed, full private bath, and adjoining tatami room; or into Take No Ma, the Bamboo Room with a queen–size bed and private bath. Meander upstairs to Ume No Ma, the Plum Room, a perfect hideaway for meditating, yoga, enjoying a book or a board game, and even dining and sleeping in the traditional Japanese way with a low table and a tatami mat floor.
Invest some energy in the indoor heated lap pool; it will come back to you with interest. In winter there's a 6–person spa by the pool, but when spring arrives it moves outdoors for you to bask under the stars. Stroll a path to the gazebo and gaze from its cliff top at a rumpled rug of hills and vales upholstered in woodland velvet.
Yes, it does rain here, so sit on the screened porch and watch the world get wet. Or browse the shelves of DVDs and enjoy a movie in widescreen. Or work yourself limp with Wii and Wii Fit games. Wireless Internet is yours free; so are long–distance calls nationwide. Feeling smug? Contact your friends and tell them where you are.
You're not in Japan. But almost.