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Vol.
020

茶畑が広がる集落に根づくゲストハウス。 65カ国を放浪したハナサカが紡いだ地域との繋がり

2023.12.30

アクション|茶畑が広がる集落にゲストハウスを立ち上げる

どこか懐かしい、のどかな田園風景。一面に広がる茶畑。八女市を象徴するかのような風景が続く田舎道を登っていくと、集落の頂上に一軒の大きな屋敷が建っている。海外放浪から帰国した坂本治郎さんは集落全体を見渡せるこの古民家を改修してゲストハウス「天空の茶屋敷」を立ち上げた。
「好きにくつろいでて、お茶淹れてくるから」と、坂本さんが温かい八女茶を淹れてくれる。ここで知り合った様々なゲストと、こたつを囲んで談笑する。初めての訪問だが、どこか居心地がいい。フィリピン出身の奥さんが営むフィリピンパブがあったり、シネマルームやカラオケルームがあったりと、ゲストを楽しませる仕掛けで溢れている。2022年には絶景が見えるワーケーションルームが新たにオープンし、「天空の茶屋敷」は日々変化し続けている。

Action|Establishing a guesthouse in a village with tea fields

A nostalgic, peaceful rural landscape is in Yame. Tea fields are widespread in the countryside of Yame City. Climbing up a country road that symbolizes the Yame, you can see a large house standing at the top of the hill, which looks out over the whole village. Jiro Sakamoto, who returned to Japan after wandering abroad, renovated this old house overlooking the entire village and established the guesthouse "Tenku no Chayashiki" (Tea House in the Sky).
“Make yourself at home, I'll go make you some tea," Sakamoto says as he brews a pot of hot Yame tea. We sat around the kotatsu and chatted with the various guests we met. It was my first visit, but I felt at home. "Tenku no Chayashiki" continues to change day by day with the opening of a new workspace with a spectacular view in 2022.

マチ|福岡県八女市黒木町

「天空の茶屋敷」があるのは八女市の黒木町笠原地区。標高およそ500メートルの土地にある集落で、大正時代頃に立てられた伝統的な古民家が立ち並び、四方を大きな茶畑で囲まれている。八女市は日本有数の茶葉の産地で、室町時代に明から僧侶がお茶の種子を持ち帰り、地元の人々にお茶を伝えたことが「八女茶」の始まりと言われている。八女茶と共に栄えてきた集落だが、時代と共に里山から街へ人口流出が続き、少子高齢化も相まって空き家が増えていっているのが現状だ。

Field|Kuroki-cho, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture

"Tenku no Chayashiki" is located in the Kasahara district of Kuroki Town, Yame City. The village is located at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, lined with traditional old houses built around the Taisho Period and surrounded on all sides by large tea fields. Yame City is one of Japan's leading tea-producing areas, and it is said that Yame tea was first produced in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) when a monk brought back tea seeds from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644, present-day China) and introduced tea to the local people. The village has prospered along with Yame tea, but as time has passed, the population has continued to migrate away from the countryside to the city, and combined with the declining birthrate and aging population, the number of vacant houses has been increasing.

福岡県八女市黒木町笠原11260

ハナサカ|坂本治郎さん
Jiro Sakamoto

福岡県出身。高校卒業後、地元を離れ陸上自衛隊員として6年間勤める。その後およそ6年かけて世界65カ国を放浪。カナダで犬ぞり操縦士としてワーホリをしたり、ヒッチハイクで大陸横断をしたりと、エピソードに事欠かない刺激的な海外生活を過ごした。帰国後は空き家になっていた黒木町の祖父母の家に移り住む。集落の方々と盛んに交流を重ねる中で集落の人から古民家を譲り受け、2017年31歳のときにゲストハウス『天空の茶屋敷』を開業する。

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from high school, he left his hometown and worked for 6 years as a Ground Self-Defense Force member. After that, he spent about 6 years wandering around the world, visiting 65 countries. He spent time abroad in several episodes, including a working holiday in Canada as a dog sled pilot and a hitchhiking trip across the continent. After returning to Japan, he moved into his grandparents' house in Kuroki-cho, which had been vacant. After spending several years interacting actively with the villagers, he received an old house from the villagers and opened a guesthouse "Tenku no Chayashiki" in 2017 at the age of 31.

ハジマリ|海外放浪の果てに芽生えた想い

高校を卒業して自衛隊に入隊した坂本さんは、自分が選んだ職は全うするものだと考え、当然定年まで自衛隊で働くのだと思っていたという。数年後、彼は23歳で初めて海外へ旅に出る。触れるもの全てが刺激的だった。旅での出会いを通して、1度きりの人生を思いのままに生きることを考え始め、1年後には自衛隊を退職することを決意して、再び旅へ出た。アメリカをバイクで旅し、自転車でヨーロッパを駆け回り、スラム街に住み、犬ぞりをひく…。気がつくと6年が経っていた。旅の終わりを感じ始めた頃、刺激を求め続ける旅人としての暮らしから、新しいステップとして、大切な場所で大切な人たちとの暮らしをつくっていきたいという思いが芽生えてきた。そんな坂本さんにとって、日本の田園風景や伝統的な文化が残る八女の奥地に残っていた祖父母の家は格好の移住先であった。空き家になっていたその家に移り住んだ後は、様々な地域活動を通して集落の人との繋がりを深めていった。すっかり集落の人たちにとって特別な存在となった坂本さんは、後に「天空の茶屋敷」となる大きな古民家を譲り受けたのだった。

Motivation|Thoughts that sprouted after wandering overseas

After graduating from high school, Sakamoto enlisted in the Japan Self-Defense Forces and believed that he would fulfill his chosen career, and that he would naturally work for the Self-Defense Forces until retirement. A few years later, at the age of 23, he went abroad for the first time. Everything he came in contact with was stimulating. Through the encounters he had on his trip, he began to think about living his one and only life as he wished, and a year later he decided to retire from the JSDF and set out on his journey again. He traveled around the U.S. on a motorcycle, rode around Europe on a bicycle, lived in slums, pulled a dog sled.... Before he knew it, 6 years had passed. When he began to feel that his travels were coming to an end, he decided to take a step forward in his life as a traveler in constant search of stimulation, and to create a life in a place that is important to him. For Sakamoto, his grandparents' house, which remained deep in Yame, a place where the Japanese countryside and traditional culture still existed, was an ideal place to settle down. After moving into the vacant house, he deepened his ties with the villagers through various community activities. Sakamoto became very special to the villagers, and later inherited a large old house that became the "Tenku no Chayashiki."

ヘンカ|坂本さんの「好き」が地域を盛り上げる

坂本さんに活動の原動力を聞くと、「好きな場所で好きなことをやっているだけ」と言う。お茶摘みを気軽に体験できる八女茶ツアーを開催したり、若者を家へ招いて住まわせ、農家を手伝ってもらったり。それらの活動は、人を招いて語り合うことが好きな坂本さん自身が楽しめる活動でありながら、地域交流に貢献できる活動でもあった。
天空の茶屋敷に留まらず、地域を巻き込む坂本さんの活動が、集落全体を面白く魅力的なものに変えはじめている。天空の茶屋敷開業前に比べて、現在では集落を離れる人が減っただけでなく、外からの移住者も少しずつ増えているという。黒木町に魅力を感じる人が増えているのだろう。

Impact|Sakamoto's "love" enlivens the community

When we asked Sakamoto what drives his activities, he replied, "Just doing what I like to do in the places I want to do it." He holds Yame tea tours where visitors can easily experience tea picking, and invites young people to visit his home and help out on the farm. These activities are not only something that Sakamoto, who likes to invite people over to talk with them, enjoys doing, but they are also activities that contribute to community interaction.
Sakamoto's activities, which are not limited to “Tenku no Chayashiki”, but involve the entire community, are beginning to make the entire village more interesting and attractive. Since “Tenku no Chayashiki” opened, the number of people leaving the village has decreased, and the number of people moving to the village from outside has gradually increased. It is likely that more and more people are finding Kuroki Town attractive.

図解|坂本さんの八女での活動
ANATOMY | Sakamoto's activities at Yame.

ツナガリ|地域の想いを受け継いだ「天空の茶屋敷」

八女市黒木町に移住後、坂本さんの家には四六時中、旅人仲間が訪れるようになった。小さな山奥の集落で異質な存在となっていた坂本さんに八女の地域おこし協力隊である森庄(たいら)さんが目をつけ、集落の人々に紹介してまわった。八女茶ツアー等を通して、住民とも密に交流するようになった坂本さんに、とある飲み会の席で集落の村長が言った。
「坂本くん、あんたなら良か、あんたがあの家もらいなさい!」
集落の一番上にある眺めの良い大きな屋敷。村長は、およそ10年もの間空き家となっていた立派な屋敷を活用してくれる若者を探していたのだ。屋敷を笠原地区に人を呼び込む場所にするため、森さん協力のもと、地域のプロジェクトとして改修することも決まった。坂本さんは旅の道中で、いつか好きな場所でゲストハウスを始めたいと思っていたこともあり、この場所をゲストハウスにすることを決心する。もともと坂本さんは好きで人を招いていたが、いつしか人を招くことが集落の人たちからも期待されるようになっていた。

Ecosystem|"Tenku no Chayashiki" inherits the community's wishes

After moving to Kuroki Town in Yame City, Sakamoto's house began to get visited at all hours by fellow travelers. Mori, a member of Yame's Community Development Cooperation Team, took notice of Sakamoto, who had become an alien presence in the small mountain village, and went around introducing him to the villagers. Through tea tours and other activities, Sakamoto came to interact closely with the villagers, and at a drinking party, the village head said to him, "Sakamoto, you can have that house."
The house was a large mansion with a great view of the village. The village chief was looking for a young man who could make use of the house, which had been vacant for about 10 years. With the cooperation of Mr. Mori, it was decided to renovate the house as a community project in order to make it a place that attracts people to the Kasahara area. Sakamoto decided to turn the place into a guesthouse, as he had hoped to one day start a guesthouse in his favorite place during his travels. Originally, Sakamoto had been inviting people because he liked to, but before long, inviting people became an expectation of the villagers as well.

ステップ|自衛隊、海外放浪、そして八女へ

高校卒業後、自衛隊に入隊▶︎初めての海外旅行で旅人と交流、人生について考えるきっかけとなる▶︎自衛隊を退職し、海外放浪の旅へ出る▶帰国後、田舎暮らしをしたいと祖父母の家に移り住む▶祖父母の家を改修▶旅人や仲間が訪れるようになる▶︎集落の方達と交流▶八女茶ツアーを企画▶空き家となっていた大きな古民家を貰い受ける▶︎ゲストハウス「天空の茶屋敷」を開業する

Steps|Self-Defense Forces, Wandering Abroad, and to Yame

After graduating from high school, Sakamoto joined the Self-Defense Forces. ▶︎ His first overseas trip gave him an opportunity to interact with travelers and think about life. ▶︎ He left the Self-Defense Forces and went on a wandering overseas trip. ▶ After returning to Japan, he moved back to his grandparents' house in the countryside. ▶ He renovated his grandparents' house. ▶ Travelers and friends started visiting. ▶︎ He interacted with villagers. ▶He was given a large old minka house that had been left empty. ▶︎He opened a guesthouse, "Tenku no Chayashiki" (Tea House in the Sky).

コツ|世界放浪を経て見つけた”良いゲストハウス”の共通点

「来る人たちにナイスな自分でいること」
坂本さんがゲストハウス運営で大事にしていることだ。そしてそれこそが世界を放浪する中で見出した”良いゲストハウス”の共通点だという。
坂本さんは訪れたゲストがくつろいでくれるよう、はじめに八女茶を振る舞い言葉を交わす。ゲストが退屈そうにしていると、近くに見晴らしのいい景色があるから一緒に見に行かないかと誘ってみる。ゲストが揉めた時には、文化や価値観が違う者同士がお互いの価値観をぶつけ合えるよう、すぐに止めはしない。坂本さんにとって「ナイスでいること」とは、相手をリスペクトし、ゲストが自然体でいれるようフランクに、そして人として対等に接することなのではないだろうか。

Tips|What "good guesthouses" have in common, as found by wandering the world

”Be nice to everyone that comes to my guesthouse.” This is what Sakamoto values in his guesthouse management. This is what he has found common to "good guesthouses" throughout his travels around the world. Sakamoto first serves Yame tea and exchanges a few words with guests to make them feel at home. If guests seem bored, he invites them to come with him to a nearby scenic spot. When guests get into trouble, he does not immediately stop them and instead allows people with different cultures and values to share their values with each other. For Sakamoto, "being nice" means respecting others, being frank with guests so that guests can be natural, and treating them as equals.

コレカラ|日本縦断の旅へ

「人生は一度きり。僕は常に自分の幸せを追い求め続けているし、ゲストハウスはあくまで手段でしかない。人の繋がりがあればどんなことがあってもなんとかなる」
そう語る坂本さんは、一時的に天空の茶屋敷を仲間に預けて、2022年の9月より北海道から福岡の八女まで日本縦断の旅に出る。ただの旅ではなく、リアカーを引いて八女のお茶を売りながら歩くのだ。そこには大好きな旅ができる上に八女のPRもできて一石二鳥だという、マイペースで自由気ままな坂本さんらしい理由があった。黒木町は過疎化が進み、深刻な空き家問題を抱えている。集落を支えてきた高齢者の方々に代わり、これからは自分たち若い世代が八女を盛り上げていかなくてはいけない。坂本さんの日本縦断にはそんな想いも込められているのかもしれない。その時々でワクワクする方へ向かっていく坂本さんは、この先どんなことに思いを馳せ、八女を盛り上げていくのか楽しみだ。

For the Future |Traveling Across Japan

”I can only live for once; I am always in pursuit of my own happiness, and guesthouses are a means to that end. If I have human connections, I can make it work no matter what.”
Saying this, Sakamoto will temporarily leave Tenku no Chayashiki in the hands of his friends and embark on a journey across Japan from Hokkaido to Yame, Fukuoka, in September 2022. The trip will not be just a trip, but a walk around selling Yame tea with the rear wheel in tow. He has his own reasons for doing this, as he is a free-spirited person who likes to travel at his own pace and kills two birds with one stone by promoting Yame. Kuroki Town is suffering from depopulation and has a serious problem with vacant houses. The elderly who have supported the community have been replaced by the younger generation, and it is up to the younger generation to make Yame a thriving community. Sakamoto's journey across Japan may also be imbued with such thoughts. We look forward to seeing what Sakamoto, who is always moving in the direction that excites him at any given moment, will come up with in the future to enliven Yame.

Writer’s Voice

「好きな場所で好きなことをやっているだけ」という坂本さんは、まさに”ハナサカ”な人だなと思いました。ゲストハウスは手段であり、坂本さんは常に「自分にとっての幸せとは何か」を追求し、行動されています。取材を通して、自分もそうありたいなと思いました。

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