Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel

Enter a World Where the Centuries-Old Spirit of Edo Continues to Bloom

Concept

It used to be said that if you want to see Edo, you have to go to the town of Sawara. Nowadays, Edo is known as Tokyo, and despite being one of the most advanced and vibrant cities on the planet, Tokyo retains a lot of the traditional culture that developed during the Edo period (1603–1867). As for Sawara, it is now part of Katori City in Chiba Prefecture. Yet the spirit of the place lives on in the Sawara Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, where centuries-old houses perfectly preserve the splendor and opulence of old Tokyo.

Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel is your gateway to this snapshot of Edo-period Japan. At Nipponia, all of Sawara is your hotel, with guestrooms dispersed throughout the town, encouraging guests to stroll through this historic commercial hub. We sincerely hope that you will accept our invitation to join us.

Discover Sawara

Sawara first came into existence six hundred years ago as an inn town along the Ono River. The Edo period was a time of great change for this secluded corner of the Kanto region. On the shogun’s orders, the Ono River was connected to the Tone River, and Sawara developed as a transportation hub for boats traveling between the capital and the Tohoku region in the northeast of the country. As its commercial power grew, Sawara became so affluent that its prosperity was considered to rival that of Edo itself. Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel is keeping that reputation alive today with unforgettable accommodations and extraordinary cultural experiences.

Expand Your Itinerary

During the eighteenth century, the Tone River attracted a flood of sake brewers to the area. Some of these still remain in and around Sawara, offering tours and exclusive vintages as well as unique sake-related souvenirs. But Sawara’s waters didn’t just serve as ingredients for sake or as transportation routes. They also nourished the local nature, which you can discover at the Suigo Sawara Ayame Park. Part of the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, this botanical garden is home to 1.5 million irises, the largest collection of these flowers in Asia. Sawara is also a short trip away from Lake Kasumigaura. Located in the south of Ibaraki Prefecture, it’s the second largest inland lake in Japan and is known for its hobikibune, which are traditional fishing vessels with massive white billowing sails—a large group looking like a sea of clouds moving across the lake in a strong wind.

Our Story

At Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel, we offer a new kind of lodging experience, one that blends in with local history. Through a variety of accommodations, such as guestrooms housed in centuries-old buildings, we hope to bring you closer to the soul of this koedo town. The name koedo means “small Edo,” which is used for towns that exemplify the spirit of the Edo period; however, there is nothing small in the way Sawara does it. Today, this historic part of Katori City is one of the biggest repositories of the rich culture of Japan’s old capital. We hope to usher our guests into that world with quietly elegant spaces and French cuisine that showcases the flavors of Chiba Prefecture, the Kanto region’s premier food-producing area.

Tangible History

KAGURA: Housing the front desk and hotel restaurant, the KAGURA building used to be a storehouse for mirin (rice wine for cooking) produced by a Sawara brewery that’s been in business for over three hundred years. Retaining vestiges of its long and unusual history, the KAGURA exudes peace and tranquillity, a place where one can escape the hustle and bustle of modern life.

SEIGAKU: The black walls of the SEIGAKU building instantly catch the visitor’s eye. Built in the nineteenth century, it was once the storehouse of a grain merchant and pawnbroker operating between the Edo period (1603–1867) and the Meiji period (1868–1912). The refurbished SEIGAKU showcases early modern Japanese architecture, from the ladder staircase to the massive, reinforced plaster doors that protected precious merchandise many years ago.

GEISHO: Located in the center of town at the intersection of the highway Katori Kaido and the Ono River, this prefectural tangible cultural property has continued to serve as a local landmark ever since its construction in 1855. Today, it has been reborn as a VMG café serving delightful refreshments amid the timeless beauty of Sawara’s history.

Rooms

Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel offers thirteen guestrooms dispersed around Sawara’s historical buildings, which include merchant houses, a former Japanese-style restaurant, and renovated warehouses. All the accommodations have been provided with modern comforts while preserving the original beauty of their traditional Japanese architecture, such as sturdy support beams and intricate wooden latticework. Connecting the facilities to local history and nature, five of the hotel buildings bear the names of varieties of iris, the official flower of Sawara, including varieties created by famous Edo-period horticulturist Matsudaira Sadatomo. Pet-friendly accommodations are also available!

Restaurants & Dining

Le Un: Located in the KAGURA building, Le Un serves up not only food but also the spirit of Edo, which you can savor in the atmosphere. The restaurant’s slogan is “local production for local consumption,” which guarantees that its ingredients are as fresh as possible and connects diners to the fertile lands of Sawara. Le Un’s cuisine is based on French cooking, but it allows local fermented foods, such as soy sauce, miso, koji mold, and sake lees, to be the stars of the show.

Capacity: 84
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (L.O. 2:00 p.m.)
Dinner: 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (L.O. 8:00 p.m.)

VMG Café: Savor aromatic tea and homemade sweets, such as sweet-potato mont blanc, with picturesque views of the Ono River at the VMG Café. Located in the center of Sawara’s Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, the café is housed in the GEISHO building, which has a history of over 150 years. The café also sells unique local souvenirs.

Opening Hours:
Monday & Wednesday through Friday: 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays: 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Cultural Experiences

Katori Shrine Tour: Only available to guests of the Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel, this experience will bring you closer to the 2,600-year history of Katori Shrine through a guided tour with a Shinto priest. Come discover one of Japan’s centers of power, long revered by the imperial family.

Participate in the Grand Festival of Sawara: Originally open only to town residents, the Grand Festival of Sawara is a rare opportunity for our guests to wear a hanten (short traditional jacket) and join others in pulling a colorful float to the sounds of Sawara music. Become lost in the celebration and feel the joyful majesty of a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage festival with a three-hundred-year history.

Dairy-Farming Experience: Get closer to the food culture of Chiba at the Narita Yume Farm, where you can try your hand at milking a cow or harvesting seasonal crops that will then go into a special menu prepared by our chef.

Our Difference

At the Nipponia Sawara Merchant Town Hotel, all staff work as concierges who will help you discover the wonders of Sawara in whatever way you desire. Put yourself in our hands and embark on a remarkable, exclusive journey into a hidden treasure of Japan that continues to embody the spirit of the country’s old capital. Inquire about booking a night boat tour where you can explore Sawara by boat under soft moonlight, just as people of the Edo period did centuries ago.

Welcome

Our mission is to present our guests with the gift of time. Time that flows endlessly through the nature and culture of Japan. Time set aside to make lifelong memories with your loved ones. Time that you will one day reflect back on with a smile. We strive to give you these experiences through the art of Japanese hospitality, the distinctiveness of accommodations that tell rich stories from Japan’s great past, and the breaking of language barriers by our English-speaking staff. We hope to see you soon.

Number of rooms: 13
Capacity: 2–4 guests per room
Check-in: 3:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Checkout: until noon
Languages: Japanese & English
Tel: +81 (0)120-210-289