Great Escapes
Gankoyama Treehouse

Gankoyama Treehouse

Chiba, Japan

  • Forest
  • Mountains
  • Foodies
  • Nature
  • Family friendly
£pp / nightVisit website

Unique off grid treehouse to learn Japanese forestry survival skills

Deep in cedar forests, Gankoyama Tree House Village is a unique off-the-grid and off-the-ground escape just 80km from Tokyo in the Chiba Mountains. Sleep in rustic timber huts built using traditional Japanese carpentry, far above the forest floor.

Powered entirely by solar and wind, the village offers a primitive independence where water comes directly from the mountain brooks and meals are foraged for and cooked over open wood fires. You’ll sleep in hand-built timber huts and can even learn to construct them yourself.

Sustainability

Climate & conservation

  • Entirely off-grid: all energy comes from solar panels and a wind generator, with no mains electricity used.
  • Founded to put neglected Japanese forest land to sustainable use, after years of cheaper imported timber.

In brief

Price bracket
£
Type of property
Lodge
No. of rooms
1 treehouse
Max guests per room
Treehouses sleep 2
Facilities
Garden, Fireplace
Activities
Forestry skills, Hiking, Cooking class, Treehouse building
Setting
Forest · Mountains

Best time to visit

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Visit in spring for cherry blossoms and planting, or autumn for foraging and foliage.

Kids

Families with children are welcome, and specific parent-child courses are offered.

Accessibility

Access is via uneven forest paths and steps; the treehouses are elevated and not step-free.

Chiba, Japan

£pp / night Visit website

Guide price · £ <£100 · ££ £100–300 · £££ £300–800 · ££££ £800+ pp / night