Experience
Learning from people, experiences
Enjoy seasonal fruits from Kinokawa City in front of the gates of Kokawa-dera Temple. A former luxury inn has been renovated to create a new, experiential complex offering hospitality.
Kinokawa Mikasakan
Kinokawa Mikasakan
A base for your stay where you can experience the blessings of the Kinokawa River with all your senses. Experience the water and fruit of the temple town, with a modern Japanese atmosphere.
A special space has been born in front of the historic Kokawa-dera Temple, which was founded in 770 AD, where local history and new values intersect. Kinokawa Mikasakan opened as an experiential base for lodging, offering accommodation, a cafe, and a sauna all in one, with the theme of "a paradise of water and fruit," surrounded by the flow of the Kinokawa River and the scent of fruit trees. In June 2024, Mikasakan, a luxury inn from the Taisho era that once welcomed travelers, was renovated and reborn as a space where nostalgia and modern sensibilities blend comfortably.
The project was undertaken by Enjoy Works, a Kamakura-based company that operates over 20 businesses utilizing vacant homes and stores. Working with the city, the company is developing mechanisms to attract visitors to the town. Drawing on their expertise as a first-class architectural firm and their track record in Kamakura, the company created mechanisms that take advantage of the site's advantages. The modern Japanese guest rooms are designed like guesthouses with kitchens. Guests can enjoy a truly local stay while savoring seasonal fruit from local farm shops. A must-try experience within the hotel is the private sauna, available by reservation only. With a maximum temperature of 110°C, the cold bath, powered by natural groundwater pumped from a well, will relax you to the core. The company is also exploring various ways to explore fruit beyond just eating, such as citrus-focused aromatherapy.
Satisfy your heat with fruits unique to Kinokawa City, the fruit kingdom. A popular cafe, frequented by locals, offers sweets, smoothies, and drinks made with seasonal fruits like strawberries, mandarins, lemons, and figs. Their popular lunch sets include dry curry with grated fruit and a chicken plate with homemade jam as a secret ingredient. This is a place that gently connects guests with the local community through the three special experiences of "staying," "relaxing," and "tasting."
A complex of lodging, sauna, and cafes, combining elegance and modernity to revitalize the region
Originally from Chiba Prefecture, he is involved in design as a first-class architect while also working to create spaces that utilize local resources. After joining Kamakura-based Enjoy Works, he began revitalizing vacant houses and stores, as well as planning and managing facilities. In 2021, he participated in the Kinokawa City project, where he was in charge of revitalizing the former Mikasakan building, located in front of the gates of Kokawa-dera Temple. While preserving the charm of the historic building, he created an experiential facility that combines accommodation, a sauna, and a cafe. Believing that "it is important to think, act, and grow as if it is your own business, rather than being passive," he has established himself in Kinokawa City and is tackling regional revitalization from both the architectural and management perspectives.
Kinokawa Mikasakan
Address: 2086 Konagawa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture
Hours: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed: Wednesdays for cafe only (sauna and lodging open daily)
Phone: 0736-67-7010
Notes
[Sauna Rental]
- No-Hands Set: ¥1,000
- Sauna Hat: ¥300
- Sauna Poncho: ¥500
- Towel Set: ¥300
- Swimsuit: ¥200
Kinokawa Mikasakan
Takumasa Wada, Entrepreneur for Kinokawa City's Regional Revitalization
Takumasa Wada
A base for lodging where you can experience the blessings of the Kino River with all your senses. Discover water, fruit, and the scent of modern Japanese culture in a temple town.
Experience content
*The period, schedule, and amount have yet to be determined.