Old merchant houses reborn as chic hideaways in Japan's Sawara
RINANO KATSU
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.
Nipponia Sawara, a subsidiary of Keiyo Bank, is leading the charge to bring new life to this picturesque district that is now part of the city of Katori, Chiba prefecture, by operating a hotel network across eight renovated kominkas.
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