TŌKA's STORY
The Journey of TŌKA A Haven Where Nature and People Intertwine
When I first visited Oita over 10 years ago, I felt that I wanted to live there someday. When I first visited Oita more than a decade ago, something quiet within me whispered, “One day, I going to live here.” Back in Tokyo, as I raised my children and ran a small shop and workshops, I found myself rethinking food, daily rhythms, and what it truly means to live well. A few years later, that path led me to the Kunisaki Peninsula and to this house a place that felt as though it had been waiting for me.It has since become the heart and beginning of TŌKA .
Encountering the House
Three buildings on a 660-square-meter site.
A life with a Japanese garden, well, fields, and livestock.
The connection with the family of former teachers who once looked after this house, the daughters' connection with cameras and horses, and the fact that the house that stands here was built here by the original owner after achieving success in California. I myself was born in California, and I feel the same freedom and warmth that I experienced growing up under the same sky. Everything mysteriously came together, and I felt that this was the place for me.
to be continued....
Three buildings on a 660-square-meter site.
A life with a Japanese garden, well, fields, and livestock.
The connection with the family of former teachers who once looked after this house, the daughters' connection with cameras and horses, and the fact that the house that stands here was built here by the original owner after achieving success in California. I myself was born in California, and I feel the same freedom and warmth that I experienced growing up under the same sky. Everything mysteriously came together, and I felt that this was the place for me.
to be continued....
Before a new chapter began
This house carried the family crest the "Kamon" of its previous owners "Gyōyo",adorned with an elegant motif of apricot leaves.Within its design lies a quiet message to walk with nature and to nurture life.
Here, I Anzu, whose name also means “apricot” have been weaving my days with many helping hands, renovating, restoring, and slowly shaping a way of life, piece by piece.The vegetables from our garden and the time shared with our chickens, ducks, and goats remind me of a simple truth : food is the source of life.
Working Together Days Built in Harmony
It would never have been possible without the support of volunteers. Every joy, every challenge, every unexpected moment held meaning and together, they shaped what Tōka is today. Even when things didn’t go
as planned, we learned to embrace each moment as part of nature’s rhythm, growing through patience, understanding, and care. Through these shared experiences, we built not just a place, but a community woven with gratitude beyond words.
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Before a new chapter began
This house carried the family crest the "Kamon" of its previous owners "Gyōyo",adorned with an elegant motif of apricot leaves.Within its design lies a quiet message to walk with nature and to nurture life.
Here, I Anzu, whose name also means “apricot” have been weaving my days with many helping hands, renovating, restoring, and slowly shaping a way of life, piece by piece.The vegetables from our garden and the time shared with our chickens, ducks, and goats remind me of a simple truth : food is the source of life.
Sauna and Workshop
At Tōka, the sauna experience begins long before you enter the heat. Nature itself prepares your body. The gentle warmth of SGE stones rises like energy from deep within the earth, quietly warming you from the inside out. Heat, breath, circulation your body and the natural world begin to move as one continuous cycle. Our farm experiences, meals, fermentation classes, and handcraft workshops all grew from this same “rhythm of nature and daily life.” With the safety of certified AT guides and WAFA training, you can spend time here returning to yourself quietly, deeply, and naturally.
Anzu Mama
(Anzu Monica Maki)
Through cooking and orthomolecular nutrition, I place great value on both food and learning.
I focus on gentle, nourishing, and uniquely crafted gluten-free meals, believing that food connects people and allows us to share knowledge across cultures. Today, I run a retreat-style guesthouse where visitors can “stay as if they live here,” a place where daily life naturally blends learning and healing. Through activities such as gardening, fermentation and handcraft workshops, and sauna sessions in nature, guests can feel the seasons and the cycle of life with all five senses.Here at Tōka, I hope each person can find balance in body and mind,and quietly return to themselves while living in harmony with nature.