english
A whole machiya townhouse,
quietly yours for the night.
Wano Retreat Hitoiki is a 200-year-old wooden townhouse, carefully restored in the old castle town of Nagahama, on the shore of Lake Biwa.
Three reasons people remember
their stay at Hitoiki.
A house, or a room — your choice
Book a whole townhouse just for your group, or reserve a single room for a simpler stay. Restored merchant’s houses with tatami, wood and quiet courtyards — tell us your plans and we’ll match you to the right space.
A private sauna & cold bath
Most of our houses have a sauna and a cold-water bath for your group alone — no sharing, no booking slot to fight over. Heat up, cool down, and totonou at your own pace, as many times as you like.
An English-speaking host
Travelling in rural Japan can feel daunting. Here, your host speaks fluent English and is happy to help with directions, dinner reservations, or what to see — just ask.
Old wood, soft tatami,
and room to breathe.
Hitoiki is spread across a small collection of restored townhouses in Nagahama’s old quarter. Each one keeps the bones of a centuries-old merchant’s home — exposed beams, tatami rooms, a quiet inner garden — with the comforts of a modern stay.
Omotesando House
Two buildings — the Kura and the Cha — with two rooms each, moments from the temple gate and the Kurokabe glass district. Book a room on its own, or take a whole building for your group.
Jusanbangai House
Three separate houses (A, B and C), each booked as a private whole-house stay — our pick for groups and friends. Houses A and B have a private sauna; House C is a one-bedroom villa without a sauna.
Room layouts and capacities vary by house. Tell us your group size when you book and we’ll suggest the best fit.
Heat, cold water,
and nowhere to be.
Japan has fallen in love with the ritual of totonou — the deep calm that comes after moving between a hot sauna and cold water. Warm yourself in the quiet of an old townhouse, step into cold water that catches your breath, then rest. Repeat until the day melts away.
It is, quite simply, the best way we know to end a day of travel.
Omotesando House — 15:00 to 21:00
Jusanbangai House A & B — anytime, until check-out
(For a late-night or early-morning sauna, choose Jusanbangai A or B. House C is a villa without a sauna.)
A few things that
make arrival smooth.
Please look up the route and parking before you set off. The easiest way is to search “Wano Retreat Hitoiki” on Google Maps — it gives you directions and shows where to park. Our streets are narrow and historic, so a little planning helps.
Check-in is between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. This is important:
- Running late? Please contact us — a quick message is all we need.
- Our front desk closes at 6:00 PM.
- If we haven’t heard from you by 8:00 PM, the booking is treated as a no-show.
- Need to drop off luggage outside check-in hours? Please arrange it with us in advance.
Nagahama keeps gentle, small-town hours:
- Shops & sightseeing: roughly 10:00–16:00
- Restaurants & bars: open until around midnight
- To enjoy the sights, arrive early in the day rather than late.
- 🌅 And don’t miss the sunset over Lake Biwa — it’s a short walk away, and it’s the best moment of the day.
Easier to reach
than you’d think.
Nagahama sits on the JR mainline in northern Shiga, an easy ride from Kyoto and the wider Kansai region. Hitoiki is a short walk — or quick taxi — from Nagahama Station.
A town you can
explore on foot.
One of the quiet joys of Hitoiki is that you can leave the car parked and simply walk. Nearly everything worth seeing in old Nagahama is within a short stroll.
Japan’s largest lake is a short walk away. Come evening, the sky over the water is unforgettable.
A district of preserved black-walled townhouses, glass studios, cafés and craft shops — the heart of old Nagahama.
Historic temples and the town’s guardian shrine are all within walking distance through the old streets.
Small restaurants, izakaya and sake breweries are scattered through the neighbourhood — easy to reach on foot, and easy to get home from.
Your host can take you on a personal walk through the old town — anywhere from a quick 30-minute stroll to a leisurely hour, sharing the stories behind the streets, shops and shrines. ¥6,000 per group, guided by the owner himself. Subject to availability, and same-day requests are welcome — just ask at the front desk.
What people say
after they leave.
“It felt like stepping onto a movie set — a beautiful old house, completely to ourselves. Worth coming to Nagahama just to stay here.”
— Guest review
“The host was lovely and impressively fluent in English. The private sauna and cold bath were the highlight of our trip.”
— Guest review
“Pure, quiet omotenashi. We arrived tired from travelling and left completely restored.”
— Guest review
Rated 4.8 on Google and highly reviewed across Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Jalan.
Come and stay with us.
Reserve directly with us, or through Booking.com — whichever you prefer. For groups, let us know your numbers and we’ll suggest the right house.
Questions before you book? We’re happy to help in English — reach out any time.
この記事へのコメントはありません。