KUMANO TRAVEL

Traditional Home × Art

SOUZOU café & stay is a historic guesthouse breathing life into a 96-year-old traditional Japanese home. Quietly nestled in Tanabe's city center, once a thriving castle town of Kinsuijo Castle, this space welcomes travelers with earthen walls and aged wooden beams that preserve the patina of time.

The Japanese-style and Western-style rooms on the second floor (capacity 4 guests each) offer cozy warmth and comfort. The first floor features relaxing common spaces including a living room, a sunken kotatsu room, and a kitchen. Experience traditional Japanese bathing in the goemon-buro (iron bathtub) complete with a wooden footboard.

Thursday through Saturday (11:00-17:00), part of the first floor operates as a café, creating opportunities for local community connection. The atelier hosts painting classes, offering a unique atmosphere where artistic energy flows through the space.

Just a 1-minute walk from the Minakata Kumagusu Memorial Museum, and close to Ogigahama Beach and Tokei Shrine, SOUZOU Stay serves as an ideal base for Kumano Kodo pilgrimage and Shirahama sightseeing. Explore the historic streets where the old town layout remains, and immerse yourself in Tanabe's rich history and culture.

Guest Information & Notes

Café Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11:00-17:00
During café hours, part of the living space operates as a café. Outside these hours, the space is exclusively available for overnight guests to relax.

Painting Classes: Wednesday 15:30-17:00, Thursday 14:00-16:00, Saturday 9:00-12:00
The atelier hosts painting classes during these times. Children may be present during these hours. We take care to minimize any disturbance to your stay, and appreciate your understanding.

Traditional Home Characteristics:

• This 96-year-old structure features delicate traditional materials including plaster, sand walls, earthen walls, fusuma sliding doors, and shoji paper screens. These elements preserve the character developed over many years. We appreciate your gentle care of these surfaces.
• As a traditional home, you may notice drafts or ambient sounds depending on the season and weather. Thank you for your understanding.
• The bath is a goemon-buro, a traditional iron bathtub originally heated with firewood. It now operates with hot water filling. A wooden footboard inside the tub allows you to relax comfortably while experiencing this distinctive bathing tradition.

Guest Access Areas

Available Spaces:

• 2nd Floor: Bedrooms, anteroom with tokonoma alcove
• 1st Floor: Living room, sunken kotatsu room, kitchen (partial access)
• Atelier: Used for art exhibitions and creation. Tours and hands-on experiences available upon advance request.

Restricted Areas:

• 1st Floor: Western-style room, office
• 2nd Floor: Storage room