Kyushu

3 Innovation Meets History at Wataya Besso

• #Lodging/Hotels
• #Producers
• #City Planning
• #Gastronomy and Culinary
• #Japanese Nature
• #Japanese history and traditional culture
• #Japanese Food Culture
• #Local production for local consumption
• #Experience
• #Community Revitalization

Straddling the Shiota River in Ureshino, Saga Prefecture, the Wataya Besso hotel complex spreads across the 66,000-square-meter property to offer several hot spring baths, restaurants, and a large number of luxurious guest rooms. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, long-established onsen ryokan (traditional hot-spring inns) across Japan had been struggling to survive changes in society and people’s tastes. Faced with these challenges, Wataya Besso’s industry-leading initiatives are gaining attention. We talked with CEO Yoshimoto Kohara, the visionary behind innovative projects which extend beyond normal ryokan operations, including a new workcation office program that integrates all the best aspects of the ryokan, and an initiative in which the hotel serves as a hub for promoting the charm of the local area.

• #Lodging/Hotels
• #Producers
• #City Planning
• #Gastronomy and Culinary
• #Japanese Nature
• #Japanese history and traditional culture
• #Japanese Food Culture
• #Local production for local consumption
• #Experience
• #Community Revitalization