One year ago, in June 2024, my wife and I visited British Hills, an establishment nestled in the remote village of Tenei in Fukushima Prefecture. Modeled after the image of England, this educational facility and accommodation complex offers a thorough taste of British culture and cuisine without ever leaving Japan.
Admittedly, I had no prior knowledge about this place. It was my wife who introduced me to British Hills, and I was instantly hooked after seeing some photos of it online. It was prime for photography with its picturesque buildings and charming atmosphere.
Getting there is quite easy. You have to catch a ride on the Tohoku Shinkansen and get off at Shin-shinrakawa station in Fukushima. From there, the hotel operates a shuttle bus that transports people from the station to the hotel and vice versa. Because the hotel is located almost in the middle of nowhere, you will be treated to a view of the Japanese countryside along the bus ride.
Upon reaching the establishment, you will be dropped right in front of Manor House, the main building of British Hills. By doing so, essentially, you are no longer in Japan. Everything in the vicinity screams England, from the design of the buildings to the signs to the mannerisms of the staff. I felt like being in a limbo when checking in, because they spoke to me in English first by default (which you could opt to switch into Japanese if you prefer).
We were assigned to stay at Chaucer, a half-timbered-style guest house down the main road. All the building names are named after famous personages of British history. Geoffrey Chaucer is the namesake of my sleeping quarters here, a renowned English poet and author of the 14th century. Among others, there are Drake, Bentley, Wren, and Newton. Everyone knows Newton, but do you recognize others?
The Manor House itself has interesting rooms inside, and since we decided to join a house tour, we got to see the rooms that were otherwise closed for viewing. One of the highlights of the trip was when I came back to Manor House at night and visited the library and other open-for-guest rooms, all the while accompanied by the slight spooky sensation that something else unseen was with us the whole time.
Food is also authentic there. Breakfasts are held at the refectory, the grand hall that has the same atmosphere as Hogwarts Great Hall. At noon, they have scrumptious afternoon teas, or if you prefer, English-style fried food at Falstaff Pub, which also doubles as the facility’s watering hole, with servings of fancy dinner menus or a plethora of booze selections at night.
In the end, a quick weekend getaway in the British Hills was more than I expected. It was fun, memorable, and pleasantly gorgeous. More importantly, I was beyond happy to be able to take so many cool photos that I haven’t been able to publish them all on Instagram. I would love to visit the country for real one day, but for now, being able to explore and taste a slice of England in Japan was more than enough to satisfy my curiosity.
