Chime of Antique Clock Echoes at Cultural Heritage Inn That Has Run Since Edo Period

By Noboru Okumura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

13:48 JST, October 27, 2025

Located on a castle town street in Otaki, Chiba Prefecture, Oya Ryokan is a cultural asset that doubles as a traditional Japanese inn — and guests and locals alike love it for that reason.

The two-story wooden building inn, with its Japanese-style tiled roof, has been operating since the Edo period (1603-1867), and its tatami-mat rooms and banquet halls are still in use today.

The section facing the street was designated a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1999.

An old clock, which has become the face of the inn, chimes in the reception area. Owner Tomoko Kawasaki, 64, listened to the nostalgic sound and said, “We still use this reception area to register guests.” The clock is wound weekly and to this day keeps the time accurately.

Alongside a registration certificate from the Agency for Cultural Affairs hangs a haiku by famed poet Shiki Masaoka. The agency’s database says the inn is “also known for hosting Shiki Masaoka during his days as a student.” Some say he stayed one night in 1891.

Manga artist Yoshiharu Tsuge also stayed in 1973. His work “Riarizumu no Yado” (Inn of realism), published that year, features an illustration believed to depict the reception area. A speech bubble describes it: “The glossy black central pillar, the nostalgic long brazier, the smoke from the irori hearth …”

A corridor beside the reception area leads to a 48-tatami-mat banquet hall. During a period of high economic growth in Japan during the 1960s and 70s, many couples held their wedding receptions here after ceremonies at the neighboring Isumi Shrine. “My wedding reception was also at Oya Ryokan,” said Haruko Yamaguchi, 81, who runs a nearby confectionery shop. “It was lively, with so many people celebrating.”

A piano sits in front of the bathhouse, available for guests to play. A man from Tokyo’s Nerima Ward, who tunes the instrument, is also a regular lodger at the inn, having come for over 30 years. He described the inn’s appeal, saying: “I like that it hasn’t changed. It’s quiet and peaceful.”

From the second floor, visitors can see Otaki Castle. I felt as if Honda Tadakatsu, the castle’s lord and a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and his second son, Tadatomo, were still watching over the town.

Oya Ryokan

Address: 64 Shinmachi, Otaki, Chiba Prefecture

Access: 10-minute walk from Otaki Station on the Isumi Railway

Memo: Featured as a filming location for dramas and photo books. Six tatami-mat rooms. Check-in at 4 p.m.; check-out by 10 a.m.