The Ryokan Collection is delighted to welcome our 48th member ryokan – Ochikochi & Villas in historical port town of Tomonoura, Hiroshima that called place of “Shiomachi”

For centuries, ships entering the Seto Inland Sea had to wait, sometimes for days, for the tides to be just right. As a result, the town of Tomonoura prospered as a place for “Shiomachi,” or “tide-waiting.” The advent of motorized vessels that could ignore the tides lessened the town’s importance, and it settled into the sleepy little backwater it is today.
Due to the necessity of staying there and the beauty of the surroundings, Tomonoura has been host to numerous historical events and prominent figures. Ryoma Sakamoto, the famous Samurai, was shipwrecked off Tomonoura in 1867 and lived there for a time, and more recently, the makers of the hit anime film “Ponyo” and the movie “Wolverine” were inspired by the town.

For more information about the beautiful ryokan of Ochikochi & Villas and Tomonoura the place of “Shiomachi”, please visit www.ryokancollection.com/ryokan/ochikochi/