Gokasho Kondo is a district of Higashiomi City in Shiga Prefecture that long flourished as the base for the famed Omi merchants. Since the late Edo period (1800s), white-walled merchant residences and storehouses have lined its streets, and old shipboard fences its flowing waterways. The picturesque old-timey landscape that has survived intact to the present has today been designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the government of Japan.

Omi merchants are famed for operating with a win-win-win business philosophy: “Good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for society.” This tripartite approach feels ahead of its time even today, with an emphasis on not just profit or even the satisfaction of clients and partners, but also on the good of society at large. Omi merchants used their acumen, nationwide connections, and wealth to improve their local community – a spirit that is still highly valued in the Gokasho of today.

About an hour removed from the bustle of the Kyoto Station area, Gokasho is a tranquil townscape with murmuring streams and a markedly slower pace of life.

A seamless part of this historic townscape, the annex of NIPPONIA Gokasho Omi Merchants' Town is available for guests of this plan to rent out for their exclusive use. Built in 1934, this is a historic structure used by merchants to host important guests, and it continues to retain this old-fashioned charm amidst modern renovations and comforts.

Today, the building still retains its beautiful thatched-roof structure, exposed timber frame, and earthen wall designs. You’ll be the only guests in the entire building during your stay, so you can enjoy luxurious privacy in this historic structure.

*The garden seen from the annex belongs to the historic Nakae Junkurō Residence nearby. Guests can enjoy the view, but access is available only through the historical building entrance (admission required).

NIPPONIA Gokasho’s guest rooms are a fusion of traditional Japanese and modern western style, including both tatami and beds. There is also a spacious open-air bathing room, where guests can soak in serenity, melting away the fatigue of travel.

Windows afford sprawling views of the expansive garden, where a pond and path for strolling provide the perfect place to soak up outdoor seasonality. The veranda, likewise, is a spot for serene reflection on the beauty and harmony of Japanese architecture and landscape design. Luxuriate in the timeless elegance of the Omi merchant spirit as you enjoy the local climate.

Add an optional dinner served at Ukarokkon, a mere 13-minute walk from NIPPONIA Gokasho. Ukarokkon is a charming restaurant in a renovated 180-year-old merchant’s residence, serving kaiseki and innovative Japanese cuisine made from local Shiga bounties like lake fish, Omi beef, wild vegetables, and fermented ingredients inside its atmospheric old-fashioned structure. Each dish is crafted to showcase the chef’s subtle sensibilities and delight all five senses.

*Please note that the restaurant is closed on Wednesdays.

The morning begins with a set breakfast of rolled omelette served at the NIPPONIA annex restaurant, Omi Dashimaki Bugyo Gokasho. Dashimaki is a traditional Japanese egg dish, made by beating eggs with dashi soup stock and then rolling them while gently pan-frying them. The result is a subtle, mild-flavored omelette with a soft, fluffy texture.

The hearty meal includes this dashimaki alongside freshly steamed rice, nourishing miso soup, and a small side dish. These soothing, mild flavors naturally ease travel fatigue and recharge the body. Relax in the traditional Gokasho morning ambience.

After check-out, Wabunka guests can also enjoy optional cultural experiences (if booked in advance).

At the Ukarokkon restaurant a 13-minute walk from NIPPONIA Gokasho, guests can experience traditional purple gromwell dyeing, using locally grown shikon purple gromwell root. Alternatively, a kintsugi pottery repair experience using decorative metal powder is also available.

In the dyeing experience, guests will dye traditional washi paper using natural purple gromwell. The deep, rich color this plant imparts is one of nature’s gifts, and Wabunka guests in this experience can learn all about its history and cultural background in Higashiomi while working hands-on with traditional artisanal dyeing techniques. This dyed paper will be ornamented with traditional mizuhiki (knotted cord art) by a renowned artist to create a celebratory decorative piece known as a kariroku. Take home your own handmade, one-of-a-kind creation.

In the kintsugi experience, learn the techniques of this traditional ceramic repair art from an expert in Buddhist statue restoration. Work with specially prepared with antique vessels, and enjoy experiencing the unique Japanese aesthetic of cherishing damage and breathing new life into the broken. During the experience, guests can also enjoy rare tea grown by the instructor, and learn all about the history of tea, Omi’s Buddhist traditions, and the craft of statue restoration.

Both of these experiences are precious opportunities to experience local craftsmanship and its underlying spirit. After the craft time, guests enjoy a healthy dim-sum style lunch of local ingredients, including Lake Biwa soft-shelled turtle soup – a specialty of Ukarokkon and a regional delicacy renowned for its rich flavor and health benefits.

Strolling through the neighborhood of Gokasho is sure to leave you feeling like you’ve wandered into another realm, where time passes more slowly. Its carefully maintained streets and manicured canals – in which beautiful koi fish swim lazily – are a testament to local determination to cherish and preserve this beautiful landscape for future generations to enjoy.

The warm and nourishing heartfelt connections you find through your stay at NIPPONIA Gokasho– and through the food, experiences, and conversation you enjoy with Higashiomi locals – are sure to bring you closer to the essence of the tripartite “win-win-win” spirit of the Omi merchants. Enjoy a moment of peace and relaxation enveloped in the tradition and community of Omi.