2 days ago
Old merchant houses reborn as chic hideaways in Japan's Sawara
Nipponia Sawara, a subsidiary of Keiyo Bank, has been renovating old buildings into hotels in the historical Sawara region of Katori, Chiba prefecture. (Photos by Rinano Katsu)
RINANO KATSU
CHIBA, Japan -- In the historical canal town of Sawara, just east of Tokyo, a regional bank's subsidiary is fueling tourism by transforming timeworn traditional Japanese houses known as kominka into refined accommodations.
Nipponia Sawara, a subsidiary of Keiyo Bank, is leading the charge to bring new life to this picturesque district that is now part of the city of Katori, Chiba prefecture, by operating a hotel network across eight renovated kominkas.
