Enjoy a pleasant and relaxing lunch time at “Furusato”！

Chiba Prefecture offers tourists all sorts of sightseeing experiences, and if you're looking for a spot to avoid the crowds and enjoy the charms of the countryside, I recommend a visit to the “Furusato” restaurant in Kimitsu. I recently took a trip there to enjoy a delicious meal in a lovely rural setting.

There is an increasing number of “kominka” (an old-style Japanese house) restaurants over Japan, “Furusato” is the typical and successful one among them. Mr. Matsumoto’s father purchased this 140-year-old house 23 years ago, without any plan of use in the first place. At that time, Mr. Matsumoto (the recent owner) was still a company employee and had no idea that he would actually own a restaurant. He came back to his hometown Chiba and converted the house into a restaurant with his family. This story matches the name “Furusato”, which literally means "hometown"!

As you arrive at the restaurant you can find the building has a fascinating and traditional appearance, like any kominka else you can see in the Japanese movies or dramas. The wooden structure, white walls and also the steep pitched roof are showing us what authentic Japanese traditional architecture should look like. If you enter the restaurant, you can find the atmosphere here very warm and cozy. Please remember you need to first take off your shoes before stepping into the restaurant, which is a manner in Japan, and it will also help you feel more relaxed.

Furusato is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Matsumoto now. Mrs. Matsumoto cooked all the main dishes while Mr. Matsumoto will bake bread and cakes. The french toast using the handmade bread is also a very popular menu! Almost all ingredients used for their dishes are produced in Japan. For the vegetables, Mr. Matsumoto persists in using vegetables that are purchased daily from the “Aisai Batake” farmers' market in the Kimitsu area everyday. They will also arrange the menu seasonally, so they can offer customers a variety of the freshest possible food each time they visit.

Everyday they will provide 3 to 4 different menus for lunch and I had "Grilled chicken with cheese mustard sauce" for me this time. If you want to eat lighter you can also pick pasta or even a piece of cake. The lunch set I ordered is with salad, mixed grain rice (you can also choose bread instead of rice) and beverage. Felt full and pretty satisfied that I can enjoy my lunch in such a relaxing place!

Mr. Matsumoto also settled a gallery and a studio next to the restaurant. They will invite some local artists to come to organise lessons here, creating pottery, stained glass and other handicrafts. As for the time I visited, there was an exhibition of pottery tableware. Have a glimpse after your meal or maybe you can even find some original pieces for your souvenir! (Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, you need to make a reservation before entering the studio)

http://kururifurusato.web.fc2.com/ (Japanese only)
Access: About a 5-minute taxi ride from JR Kururi Station