Welcome to NookBell

Hello travelers! I’m Aikero, a writer for Sarukuma.

If you’ve ever searched “Kumamoto family lunch private room” countless times, you’ll understand the struggle. There are plenty of lovely private-dining spots, but the time is too short, kids’ menus are missing, or the kids get restless. Someone — adult or child — usually ends up compromising.

Well, your search ends here. A paradise for families with young kids exists right in Kumamoto’s Mifune Town!

Today I’m introducing the rental house & cafe NookBell, located in Mifune Town, Kamimashiki District.I visited with fellow writers and our kids — and we had an absolute blast!

NookBell is a casual, easy-to-use rental house and cafe designed around the real wishes of parents with young children.

What makes it special? In one phrase: “the convenience of a private-room lunch, but in a whole rental house all to yourself.”

And there’s more:
Bring your own food and drinks for free! No need to take your trash home! Every room has a TV, refrigerator, and a private garden! Shared kitchen available!

The thoughtful touches are everywhere, and both adults and kids walked away beyond satisfied. I’m already planning to use it for writer meetups and personal gatherings.Just a 5-minute drive from Costco Mifune, Mifune IC, and Koike-Takayama IC — perfect location! It’s tucked just off the highway road, so keep an eye out for this signboard.

Once you spot the sign, head down the small road. It’s a bit narrow but big cars can pass and there are spots to pull aside, so don’t worry.
When you see a square mirror and signboard at the bottom of the slope, turn left. You might think “Is it really down here?” — yes, it is! (I thought the same thing, ha!)
A short drive after the turn, you’ll see this entrance — you’ve arrived!There’s plenty of parking!

Each parking space is generously wide. Ever felt that little jolt of stress trying to get kids out of the car or unload luggage in a tight spot? NookBell solves that — even larger vehicles fit comfortably with room to spare.

There’s a dedicated lane for kei cars (small Japanese cars), too.

From March through April, the parking lot’s mimosa trees burst into beautiful yellow blooms! You can stop by just to take photos — it’s a wonderful photo spot.Walk past the parking lot and you’re greeted by rows of cute little cottages — it really feels like stepping into a storybook! The kids and writers were instantly hyped up.

To enhance the otherworldly atmosphere, all the power lines are buried underground. And the attention to detail doesn’t stop there! You’ll keep noticing little “Wait, they thought of that too?!” surprises throughout the property.NookBell has 9 rental houses in total, with sizes accommodating anywhere from 2 to 25 people. Every house comes with a refrigerator, air conditioning, TV, and garden — and they all radiate that warm, beautiful wood interior charm.

You might worry about cobwebs or bugs in wooden cottages, but the staff’s thorough cleaning keeps everything looking like new construction! Perfect even for guests who dislike bugs, and totally safe for babies who want to nap or crawl around.

Let me show you a few of the rooms (full details available on the NookBell website).The Blueberry and Juneberry rooms (for 2–6 guests) feature this charming interior.

The fridges are sized for 3–4 people, with a freezer compartment underneath! Plenty of room for groceries and even boxed ice cream — and amazingly, every single room has this same fridge setup.
The kids’ space, complete with a magnetic play board, is a guaranteed kid-pleaser.
On nice days, the balcony makes for a wonderfully breezy spot. They even provide slippers in both adult and kids’ sizes — such a thoughtful touch!
The Yucca and Conifer rooms (also for 2–6 guests).
These rooms have private gardens instead of balconies, with a slightly more spacious layout.The Eucalyptus and Olive rooms (for 2–6 guests) feature walled-in courtyard-style gardens.

The Conifer, Eucalyptus, and Olive rooms allow garden pool play during summer! Adults can relax in the cool indoors while kids splash in the garden pool — pure family bliss.For families with babies, I recommend the Eucalyptus room with its low table. There’s a raised tatami area too, making the space feel even larger than it looks.The Coco Yashi room (for 6–10 guests) is wheelchair-accessible thanks to its ramp — so welcoming!

Rental House Pricing

Now for the question on everyone’s mind: how long can you stay, and how much does it cost?

〈Rental House Pricing〉
(Per person)

● Weekday 4 hours, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
・Ages 16 and up: 2,200 yen
・Elementary/Middle School: 500 yen
・Preschoolers: 300 yen

● Weekend/Holiday Half-day 4 hours, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM / 4:00 PM–8:00 PM
・Ages 16 and up: 2,500 yen
・Elementary/Middle School: 800 yen
・Preschoolers: 500 yen

● Weekend/Holiday Full Day 9 hours, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM
・Ages 16 and up: 4,000 yen
・Elementary/Middle School: 1,400 yen
・Preschoolers: 800 yen

● Cooking Area Use (2nd-floor kitchen)
・Per group: 500 yen

● Bring-your-own food: FREE
● Trash disposal: FREE
(Please sort and place in the trash bins in front of the reception)

Evening bookings on weekends/holidays available with reservation!
No overnight stays yet, but the space is perfect for family gatherings, kids’ clubs, hobby groups, and so much more.

Many rental spaces charge for bringing in food or for trash disposal. The owners — the Oiwa family — explained: “We don’t want guests bothered by extra fees or hauling trash home. They came here to enjoy themselves.”

As guests, the least we can do is sort our trash and tidy up before leaving — let’s all be respectful users!＼Great news for families!／
・Free toy rental service

Toys are essential for any family outing, but combine them with diaper bags, snacks, drinks, and changes of clothes, and you’ve got a mountain of luggage. At NookBell, you can travel light!

Toys for ages from baby through elementary school are available to rent for FREE! Playtime — between siblings or with parents — becomes part of your NookBell memories. There are outdoor toys too, so just ask the staff!

Lodge de Lunch Plan

Let’s be honest — every parent in Kumamoto has Googled “private room lunch Kumamoto” at some point. Depending on your child’s age, the considerations multiply: tatami or table seats? Kids’ menu? Can dishes be shared? You’re exhausted before you even leave the house!
For families like yours, NookBell created the Lodge de Lunch plan — easy AND incredibly affordable!
For the same price as a 4-hour weekend rental house booking, you also get a 3-hour stay PLUS lunch included!

The benefits are stacked:
・Choice of lunch (drink and dessert included!)
・Up to 3 hours of relaxed use
・Safe space for babies to nap or crawl
・Bringing your own food OK
・No need to take trash home
・Kids can play freely while still in your sight

I admit, I initially thought, “Do I really get together with enough people to justify renting a whole house?” But once I tried this plan, I instantly fell for the “private-room-lunch convenience” of it all.
〈Lodge de Lunch〉
For high school age and above, minimum 2 guests
・Ages 16 and up: 2,500 yen
・Elementary/Middle School: 500 yen
・Preschoolers: 300 yen
(*For children, only the room fee applies.
Please bring food for kids or order from the NookBell cafe.)

● Choice lunch plate + 1 lodge (private use up to 3 hours)
・1 main from 5 options (with onion fries and salad)
・1 drink from 7 options
・1 dessert from 5 options

Cafe Menu

“Wait, can only rental house guests use the cafe?” Nope! The cafe is open to everyone — even solo travelers can stop in.

And if you’re at the cafe, you can ask to tour the rental houses too (subject to bookings). Just let the staff know!
〈Muffins〉
Nook Muffin / Bell Muffin
・Single: 550 yen
・Drink Set A (with onion fries): +550 yen
・Drink Set B (with onion fries): +430 yen

〈Pizza〉
Margherita / Mentai Mayo Potato
・22cm: 1,100 yen

〈Sides〉
・Onion Fries: 350 yen
・Domestic Chicken Nuggets (5pc): 440 yen
・Mega Nuggets (15pc): 1,100 yen

〈Baby Menu〉
・Baby Food: 350 yen
・Baby Drink: 110 yen
・Baby Snacks: 220 yen

Drinks are split into Set A and Set B by type, with different prices. The shop’s signature Japanese black tea is sourced from Yakushima — selected after testing many varieties for the best aroma. With baby food on the menu too, parents traveling with infants can pack lighter!The cafe is on the 2nd floor of the reception building. After ordering, take off your shoes and head upstairs.The cafe space radiates warm, stylish wooden vibes!On sunny days, the balcony is highly recommended!The view is incredible! Those colorful little houses are just so charming.Free manga to read, too!
The shared kitchen is also on the 2nd floor — use it whenever you bring your own food to cook.Microwave and refrigerator included! You can also spot a kid-sized chair tucked in the corner.Please sort your trash into these bins in front of reception.

Recommended Menu Picks

We ordered the Lodge de Lunch plus extra pizza and nuggets!Aside from sweets, we didn’t bring our own food this time, but as you can see, the kids gobbled everything up! Plates are plastic, so even toddler-friendly.We shared the muffins and pizza — both packed with generous toppings and absolutely delicious!

Normally, lunch alone is 980–1,100 yen, and rental house starts at 2,200 yen for 4 hours. With the Lodge de Lunch plan, you get lunch (with salad and dessert) PLUS a 3-hour rental for just 2,500 yen — is this even legal?!

While we were there, another group of three moms with babies was using the place. Our writer team agreed it would be perfect for mom meetups!
You can even BBQ on the balcony!

The Oiwa Family

We wanted lava-stone plate BBQ to be our specialty. By chance, a relative of one of our staff is in the stone-cutting business and had a giant block of Aso volcanic rock. They carefully cut it slab by slab to create our original lava plates.

For that reason, we use lava-stone plates instead of grills. There’s much less smoke, so your clothes don’t reek of barbecue afterward — a major plus!

All the meat is premium domestic — Japanese black wagyu, kurobuta black pork, and kosho or local jidori chicken!

〈Meat & Vegetable Orders〉
(Reserve at least 3 days ahead)

・Japanese Black Wagyu, ~200g: 2,000 yen
・Kurobuta Black Pork, ~200g: 1,000 yen
・Kosho or Jidori Chicken, ~300g: 1,400 yen
・Vegetables (3–4 servings): 1,200 yen〈BBQ Kit〉
・For 2 people: 1,500 yen
・For 4–5 people: 2,500 yen
・Extra charcoal (~3 kg): 550 yenSauces, salt, and pepper are not included in the kit. Either bring your own, or ask staff — seasoning rentals are free.

There’s also a hot pot kit, but ingredients aren’t included for that — please bring your own.
Our friend Gus-san manning the grill with pizza in one hand!

The meat isn’t thin and flimsy — every cut is thick and substantial. I worried lava-stone might cook slower than a grill, but the meat sizzled to perfection in no time!While we adults enjoyed an elegant balcony lunch, the kids did their own thing — wolfed down their meals, then watched TV, drew pictures, made origami, and played with toys.

Because it’s a rental house, the kids can be loud without bothering anyone — pure freedom!Free Wi-Fi too! Even on rainy days, you can play games or stream movies indoors.

The Story Behind NookBell

NookBell is so amazing for families that you’ll think “I wish I’d known about this sooner!”

So what’s the story behind this place? I sat down with the owners, the Oiwa family, to hear it.

Aikero

What inspired you to create this place?

It started when I went through postpartum depression. With small kids, I rarely got out — and going through that taught me how vital it is to talk with other people.

The Oiwa Family

Aikero

I had no idea… I’m sure many parents feel the same way, even if not as severely. Yet outside of children’s centers and family-support places, going out becomes exhausting — “will my kid cry and bother people?”, “can I change diapers?”, “can I breastfeed?” — too much to think about before you even leave home.

Exactly. There aren’t many places where moms can truly relax. So I wanted to create a space families with babies could come to easily! Here, kids can cry and run as much as they want. “When mom is happy, kids are happy” — but moms are human too, and we can’t always be cheerful. So during those tough moments, please come here, talk with the people you love, recharge, and treasure the “now” with your kids.

The Oiwa Family

Aikero

What a beautiful philosophy! And it’s incredible to have a place where parents AND kids can both have fun. But finding such a spacious property… that must’ve been quite a challenge?

It took a year to find this location! We even pitched the town hall, but they hesitated since there was no precedent. The site isn’t visible from the main road, so we still hear “I had no idea this place existed!” all the time. Still, the local grandmas come by to chat with the kids or grab lunch — we’re so grateful.

The Oiwa Family

Aikero

So the community embraces it too! Do most guests come in big groups like ours?

Mostly groups of 3–4 moms, and usually within 10 people for mom-meetups. But our largest room fits up to 30 people, so kids’ clubs, hobby parties, and end-of-season celebrations are all welcome!

The Oiwa Family

Aikero

For big groups, picking a restaurant is hard, and kids get bored. NookBell feels just like home — that’s a HUGE plus!

We do offer baby food, but with our free bring-your-own policy, you’re welcome to bring whatever your kids like!

The Oiwa Family

Free BYO is genuinely surprising! Costco is just 5 minutes away, so you could shop there and share the food here — perfect! Combined with no trash to take home, your love and care for guests really shines through.

For our food, we use as many domestic Japanese ingredients as possible. The Japanese black tea — we tested many varieties and chose Yakushima leaves for the best aroma. We want guests to enjoy fun times AND great food!

The Oiwa Family

Aikero

Such dedication! Our writers raved about the Japanese black tea — I’d love to try it next visit. Thank you so much for sharing!

Overnight stays aren’t currently available, but they plan to install showers and start accepting overnight guests around winter!
The kids loved it so much they kept saying “I want to live here!” and “I don’t want to go home!” — we’re already counting down to overnight bookings.

Born from the personal experience of a parent-owner couple, NookBell is the embodiment of “the place I wish existed when my kids were small.”

Through this visit, I truly felt: “There’s a place where families can have a blast WITHOUT exhausting parents!”
It’s a place packed with “fun” for kids, moms, and dads alike.

Cheerful, kind staff and those colorful little houses are always ready to welcome you. Stop by for a visit anytime!

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.