Old merchant houses reborn as chic hideaways in Japan's Sawara

Bank-led regional initiative transforms Edo period 'kominka' into hotels

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

July 12, 2025 10:07 JST

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.