Nipponia Hotel Takehara Saltworks Town

Concept

NIPPONIA HOTEL Takehara Saltworks Town offers a unique journey through history and culture. Located in the heart of Takehara, a town surrounded by sea, mountains, and rivers, the hotel occupies carefully renovated Edo-period buildings. Once home to prosperous merchants and scholars known as “Hama-danna,” Takehara flourished thanks to its salt industry. Stay in historic homes, savor local seafood and sake, and experience the town’s rich heritage. In Takehara, history quietly comes alive, offering a peaceful and unforgettable escape.

History of Takehara

Takehara flourished as a manor of Kyoto’s Shimogamo Shrine in the Heian period and later prospered through salt and sake industries. Trade with Kyoto and Osaka merchants earned it the nickname “Little Kyoto of Aki.” Today, the town’s historic streets are preserved as an Important Preservation District, where the legacy of wealthy salt merchants, or “Hama-danna,” and their cultural contributions can still be felt.

Expand Your Itinerary

Takehara’s connection to the Seto Inland Sea goes deeper than salt. Today, the city administers the island of Okunoshima, famous for the friendly rabbits that freely roam this scenic corner of Seto with its hiking trails and historic spots. But when exploring the islands of Hiroshima Prefecture, guests of Nipponia Hotel Takehara Saltworks Town should not miss Miyajima. Here, they can see the Itsukushima Shrine and its famous torii that appears to float above the water’s surface during high tide. And not far away is Hiroshima Castle, also known as Carp Castle, a reconstruction of a sixteenth-century fortification that once served as western Japan’s seat of power.

Our Story

Known as the “Mediterranean of the East,” the Seto Inland Sea enjoys a mild climate and abundant seafood, while citrus fruits and olives thrive along its shores. Takehara has long enjoyed these local treasures, along with high-quality sake from its historic breweries.

At NIPPONIA HOTEL Takehara Saltworks Town, guests can experience the town as the old salt merchants once did. Enjoy a unique pairing of world salts, local ingredients, and Takehara’s sake, including selections from three historic breweries, and savor the rich history and culinary heritage of this charming coastal town.

Tangible History

HOTEI: The hotel’s main building, where the front desk and dining room are found, HOTEI was originally established in the Edo period and operated as a ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) until the 1970s. Observe the expertly preserved wooden exterior and interior, representative of Japanese architecture from hundreds of years ago, and allow their timeless beauty to soothe your mind.

MOSO: The hotel’s MOSO guesthouse was constructed during the Meiji period (1868–1912) as a bank and later operated as a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). Its remarkable architecture combines the commanding, solid appearance of an old financial institution with the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a lodging facility—two worlds that come together in perfect harmony to create lifelong memories for our guests surrounded by tangible Japanese history.

KIKKO: Of all the buildings at Nipponia Hotel Takehara Saltworks Town, the building called KIKKO has possibly the most diverse history. Having been a sake brewery during the Meiji period, it was reinvented as a billiard hall and went on to become various other entertainment facilities throughout the twentieth century. Today, it contains the hotel guestrooms, offering easy access to the city’s important cultural assets, like the former Matsusaka family residence across the street.

Rooms

Nipponia Hotel Takehara Saltworks Town offers ten luxurious rooms designed to make you feel like a great salt magnate. The accommodations are decorated in two colors: white to represent salt and koji mold (used in making sake) and blue to represent the Seto Inland Sea. These colors together with the well-preserved traditional interiors create a welcoming space and a tangible link to the culture of Takehara. The rooms differ in size from forty-two to sixty-six square meters and can accommodate one to four guests each. The VMG Premium room also comes with a private garden.

Restaurants & Dining

At Le Un(restaurant), you’ll be dining on Hiroshima specialties, including “oyster bonbons,” known for their sweet taste, and Togeshita beef, with its exceptionally tender texture and rich flavor. We offer this magnificent bounty of the Seto Inland Sea area and elevate it with that most common of ingredients: salt. While salt may be a basic seasoning, at our restaurant you will find special varieties from all over the country, in addition to Takehara salt, which is not available to the general public. Takehara’s production of salt, closed down and forgotten long ago, has been revived on a smaller scale to add a little something special to the dining experience for our select clientele.

Also adding flavor to our dishes is slow-aged soy sauce produced in Osakikamijima from carefully selected ingredients using traditional methods. In addition to sake from Takehara’s breweries with their 150-year history, you can enjoy local whisky and Hiroshima craft beer as well as fruit wine and soft drinks made from citrus fruits produced around the Seto Inland Sea.

Cultural Experience

Bamboo Craft Experience: Enjoy Japanese handicrafts at a special workshop held in a renovated storehouse. Try your hand at making a traditional bamboo basket under the supervision of local bamboo artisans for a one-of-a-kind experience and souvenir of your time in Takehara.

Soy Sauce-Making Experience: At the historic Okamoto Soy Sauce Brewery, founded in 1932, learn about the traditional craftsmanship behind their soy sauce and try your hand at the stirring process. Handmade soy sauce, which enhances the flavor of home-cooked meals, makes a perfect souvenir to take home.

Biking Around Takehara’s Coast and Townscape: Takehara, a seaside town blessed with a refreshing Seto Inland Sea breeze, offers a unique cycling experience exclusively for hotel guests. Explore the town at your own pace, from the peaceful streets at sunrise to the scenic coastline at sunset.

Our Difference

Takehara, where salt fields were established in 1650, flourished both economically and culturally under the guidance of the salt merchants, or “Hama-danna,” as well as scholars and cultural figures. At NIPPONIA HOTEL Takehara Saltworks Town, guests can experience the heritage of this salt culture and the bounty of the Seto Inland Sea, savoring local sake and seafood. Immerse yourself in the refined sensibilities cultivated in Takehara and enjoy a timeless journey through the town’s traditional elegance.

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.