On the shore of Lake Biwa – Japan’s largest lake – sits the charming city of Nagahama, Shiga. Here in the shadow of Mount Ibuki, amidst clear rivers and streams and flocks of waterfowl, the city flourished under the Sengoku period (1467–1615) sovereign Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This is still attested by the numerous historical heritage sites that dot the city. Nagahama also boomed in its heyday as a bustling post town connecting merchants and travelers of the Hokuriku coastal region of the Japan Sea with the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area.

This is also a place where a unique culinary culture has developed, nurtured by nature. Mount Ibuki snowmelt produces fresh clear waters that nourish the fields before collecting in Lake Biwa – the source of lake fish served either as funazushi or preserved through fermentation or other methods. Traditional craft ingredients such as miso and soy sauce are likewise born of the interplay between the local climate, nature, and the townspeople. This is a rich tradition of fermented cuisine that is still thriving.

Happy Taro Brewery – founded in 2017 by Kotaro Ikejima, also known as "Happy Taro” – specializes in such fermented foods as doburoku, amazake (sweet non-alcoholic sake made only from rice and koji), and miso. Made with fully ripened koji, its products have earned a reputation for deliciousness through word of mouth and have garnered many fans across Japan. Under Ikejima’s own instruction, learn all about the biochemistry of fermentation, the role of koji, and the details of how the ingredients are transformed. This is a precious opportunity to connect with the locale and its handcrafted food culture.

The process of making miso is quite simple, as you can find out for yourself in this experience: hand-crush locally-grown soybeans firmly in bond hands, then knead in rice koji mold, salt, and water. As you work it, the texture, temperature, and aroma begin to change right there in your hands. Ikejima will be by your side to observe and guide you, so there is no need to worry about making mistakes or getting lost in the process. When your miso is thoroughly mixed, take it home to ferment and mature in a cool place at home for approximately ten days. There is nothing quite like miso you made with your own hands.

After making white miso, you will taste different varieties along with doburoku, all made at the brewery. Each has its own distinct flavor owing to the ratio of koji mold and the period of maturation. By tasting the differences in aroma, saltiness, and sweetness, you can gain a new appreciation of the depth of fermentation as an art. As an optional add-on, enjoy Happy Taro’s cheesecake made with rice koji and amazake served with tea (additional fee applies). The soft flavor of the cheese blends deliciously with the taste and texture of rice koji.

Wano Retreat Hitoiki utilizes historic traditional structures for its facilities. The main building is a perfect example, renovated from a machiya townhouse that served as a kimono shop for two hundred years. It also sits on the historic stone-paved approach to the town’s iconic temple Daitsuji, an area that retains an elegant historical feel. The structure also exhibits the traditional “eel’s bed” design of machiya townhouses, with wooden beams, earthen walls, and a narrow frontage that stretches deep back into the block. Its old storehouse has been renovated into a private sauna to maximize the structure’s unique charm.

Separate Wano Retreat Hitoiki machiya townhouses are located in a neighborhood filled with modern shops and popular restaurants. Although these are also traditional old structures, they were constructed in a different era from the main building, resulting in wider frontages, higher ceilings, and Western-style spaces.

Wano Retreat Hitoiki’s proprietor is Shimpei Maita, who is devoted to the preservation of Nagahama’s history and culture. He has made it his aim to carry this culture into the next century while fostering a community where joy abounds. Wano Retreat Hitoiki is a part of this mission. Maita wants to connect Nagahama with its visitors more intimately, crafting a stay experience that integrates the whole town so that guests can experience its many charms, famous spots, and sightseeing draws while interacting with the locals and their culture.

Guests in this Wabunka plan stay in one of these two machiya newly renovated as of 2025. Both buildings – known as A and B – maintain the historic charm of their original structures and are available for exclusive use so that you can enjoy relaxing privacy.

The herbal bath blessed with the waters of Mount Ibuki features a plethora of therapeutic herbs, and private saunas relax you with mild heat of approximately 80 degrees. The saunas also feature löyly steam infused with a blend of herbs for an aroma that melds with the fragrance of the wood for a deep, meditative atmosphere.

Both buildings feature self check-in systems and mini kitchens, for a truly at-home experience. Artwork chosen to seamlessly complement the space is displayed throughout the interiors for inspiring visual stimulation. This is a stay that allows you meld right into town life for a luxurious escape from the workaday.

Breakfast is Italian-style cuisine made of seasonal locally-sourced Shiga ingredients. An optional dinner is available (additional charges apply), with choices for local or Italian style cuisine. Local cuisine includes Lake Biwa funazushi, sashimi, tsukudani, and grilled fish at the longtime Nagahama dining fixture Sumimoto. For Italian food, guests can check out Biwacollage, the restaurant of Shiga’s renowned Chef Takumi Ichiyama, for a full course meal packed with fresh local ingredients in a charming traditional machiya townhouse.

As an additional option, guests can choose to take a walking tour of Nagahama with Maita as their guide (additional charges apply). This tour begins with a visit to the nearby temple of Daitsuji, a branch temple of Kyoto’s Higashi Honganji and a historic landmark of Nagahama history.

With Maita’s guidance, enjoy a thorough walkthrough of the temple’s main hall, discovering its architectural features and learning the background and significance behind each in a way that most visitors are never able to. The temple approach was once a bustling neighborhood of merchants and eminent kimono shops – one of which went on to become the main building of Wano Retreat Hitoiki. This kimono purveyor’s legacy is still visible here, with its shop name inscribed on a water basin at the temple’s purification fountain.

Another stop on the tour is Nabeshou Shoten, a local fixture for over a century and a half. Tour this historic soy sauce brewery’s storehouse and try a tasting experience. Nagahama was once a thriving center of soy sauce brewing, and Nabeshou Shoten carries on this legacy of tradition using locally grown whole soybeans and wheat with traditional methods emphasizing natural fermentation. Many of the brewery’s buildings and barrels have been in use for some 80 years, and the koji mold in the storehouse used for fermentation is likewise a longtime resident.

In addition to three types of koikuchi soy sauce and one type of usukuchi soy sauce, sample inaka miso and soy sauce-infused sesame seeds. Sixth generation owner of the brewery Kazutaka Yamamoto offers detailed explanatory commentary so you can learn as you taste. When you’re finished, choose two of your favorites to take home as souvenirs.

A walk through Nagahama’s streets is a walk into history. The Kurokabe Square building is a local landmark with its black plaster walls, built in 1900 as a bank. It earned its local moniker at the time as “Kurokabe Ginko” (literally: “Black Wall Bank”), though today it is known as the Kurokabe Glass Shop. Listed as a national tangible cultural property, it draws sightseers from across Japan and the broader world who want to admire its timeless tortoiseshell patterned ceiling and other notable architectural elements.

Unique Shiga dishes like grilled mackerel somen noodles, funazushi, and kamo-suki (duck sukiyaki) make up some of Nagahama’s rich cuisine. The town is also a center of traditional wagashi sweets and tea culture. Enjoy a tipple in one of the town’s many bars, or have Maita recommend one of his favorite spots. A beautiful nearby river is home to dancing fireflies in early summer, and scenic views of Lake Biwa are also close at hand. Historical buildings with gardens and the Shiga Prefectural intangible folk cultural property of Bunraku puppet theater are also among the many ways to enjoy your time in the town.

Nagahama exudes an almost uncannily welcoming warmth that prompts many visitors to feel it strangely familiar even on a first visit. This is a culture that has been nurtured slowly over time, in a land with powerfully atmospheric and healing natural scenery in the shadow of Mount Ibuki over the shores of Lake Biwa.

Let your stress go in a Japanese herbal bath or private sauna. Delight in the rich flavors of Nagahama local cuisine, and learn about the traditional fermentation culture that forms a crucial part of it. This is a stay that allows you to soak up the history and culture of the region for a luxurious escape from workaday life. With Maita as your guide, discover a spirit and aesthetic that has been nurtured by generation after generation of Nagahama’s townsfolk. There are no limits to the joys Nagahama has to offer.