Visit Nara

The oldest soy sauce brewery in Nara has been reborn as NIPPONIA Tawaramoto Maruto Shoyu, a stylish accommodation that connects guests with Nara’s heritage. Maruto Shoyu was founded in 1689 and supplied Japan’s imperial family before it closed in the mid-twentieth century. The buildings were unused until Hiroyuki Kimura, the 18th-generation of the founding family, discovered the family’s soy sauce recipe and some of the surviving yeast. He relaunched the Maruto Shoyu in 2020.

Guests can experience soy sauce production in the brewery, and stay in the former residence and storehouses, which have been converted into seven spacious rooms with modern amenities. Enjoy walks around the historic town and visit Omiwa Shrine and Muraya Shrine nearby. The on-site restaurant, "Kuramoto Ryori Maruto Shoyu", serves innovative dishes incorporating locally-harvested organic vegetables, Yamato pork, and soy sauce. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability and gastronomy.