Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town

Experience the Noble Majesty of Ozu, Where an Entire Castle Town Is Your Hotel

Concept

The city of Ozu in Ehime Prefecture has been shaped over centuries by the grand Ozu Castle, which once served as the seat of power for lords of the domain. The historic castle town that developed around Ozu Castle remains preserved in pristine condition, telling the story of a thriving merchant culture. Everywhere you look, you will find rich history surrounded by a beautiful landscape with the Hiji River nearby. Not wanting our guests to miss out on any part of this secluded treasure trove of nature and culture, Nipponia decided to make all of it into a hotel.

The Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town is a decentralized facility that breaks free of the generally accepted idea of a hotel—its accommodations dispersed throughout the historic site to encourage the exploration of a slice of old Japan. We hope that the memories you make here will be as timeless as the charm of Ozu’s castle town.

Discover Ozu

The people who live around the Hiji River and Ozu Castle are said to have a serious temperament mixed with plenty of warmth and joyfulness as well as a strong sense of community. That is perhaps one of the reasons why Ozu has come to be known as the Little Kyoto of Iyo, with Iyo being the old name for the Ehime region in western Shikoku, one of the four main islands of Japan. Besides the cultured and strong sense of community, Ozu and Kyoto also share a richness of nature. About 70 percent of Ehime Prefecture is forested, with a basin in the center shaped by the Hiji River, which nourishes the local scenery, making Ozu one of the most scenic places in Japan.

Expand Your Itinerary

The smallest of Japan’s main islands offers the biggest thrills for travelers. Experience them firsthand by making the Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town a convenient base for your exploration of Shikoku and all its wonders. Start with the nearby city of Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime Prefecture and home to the Dogo Onsen, the oldest recorded hot spring in Japan, with rejuvenating waters that will relax both your body and mind. Adventure-travelers will want to hike the 1,982-meter Mount Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan. Are you looking for more luxurious experiences? Then you will want to head down to Imabari City, known for its soft, highly absorbent towels, whose quality is recognized around the world. Let Ozu be the start of a great journey of discovery for you.

Our Story

Ozu Castle was originally built in the 1300s and flourished in the early seventeenth century when Kato Sadayasu was made lord of this fortress. And as the castle grew in power and opulence, so did the town around it. Trade in the area was primarily in wax and silk, with the local Murakami family making a fortune in the production of mokuro (Japanese wax). Today, Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town is made up of the former residences, guesthouses, and warehouses of the Murakami and Kato clans, plus a traditional Japanese restaurant with roots going back four hundred years to the Edo period (1603–1867). With the hotel having eleven dispersed buildings, no boundary between the hotel and the castle town is visible.

Tangible History

TUNE: One of the Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town buildings, TUNE was originally a ryotei (Japanese-style restaurant) beloved by local residents from the time of its establishment in 1688. The TUNE guestrooms retain vestiges of the Edo period through preserved imperfections that reflect the historic structure’s accumulation of time. The name TUNE is a tribute to the third-generation Kato lord Yasutsune, who helped expand the clan’s power.

OKI: A historic building housing the hotel’s reception area and guestrooms, OKI was once the Murakami family’s main residence, built in the Meiji period (1868–1912). At over 3,300 square meters, the house exudes the power and affluence of that great merchant family, and it can still be felt here today.

MITI: This former Kato residence was built during the Taisho period (1912–26). Today, it’s one of Ozu’s most representative buildings, blending modern Japanese-style and Western-style architecture. This guestroom house offers a beautiful view of the castle’s turret on the south corner, designated an Important Cultural Property.

Rooms

The Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town offers twenty-eight rooms that integrate the original charms of the historic buildings with modern functionality. In this way, the hotel has created comfortable, luxurious spaces where guests can feel connected to the soul of Ozu. A stay in any one of these accommodations is a magnificent journey into the nature, food, culture, and history of this corner of Ehime.

All rooms overlook a private courtyard and range in size and capacity, from the spacious Registered Tangible Cultural Property VMG Suite (171 square meters for six guests) to more intimate accommodations like the VMG Comfort (45 square meters for two guests.)

Restaurants & Dining

Le Un: The restaurant Le Un is located in the SADA building, which stands in front of Ozu Castle and is named after the castle’s first lord, Kato Sadayasu. Le Un serves dishes inspired by the Kato clan’s favorites as detailed in their personal journal from 1615. The meals are prepared with local ingredients from the land, river, and sea, such as rainbow trout, ayu (sweetfish), and hamo (daggertooth pike conger), using modern cooking methods to achieve an innovative fusion of both Japanese and Western cuisine. It can best be called Ozu cuisine, because you won’t find it anywhere else. To further enhance the dining experience, these culinary delights are served on Tobe-ware, a local porcelain known for its elegant, vividly blue designs.

Capacity: 40
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (L.O. 2:00 p.m.)
Dinner: 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (L.O. 8:00 p.m.)

Cultural Experiences

Touring the Castle Town by Rickshaw: Sit back and relax on a rickshaw ride through the historic castle town as the driver delights you with tales of the traditions and secrets of Ozu, giving you exclusive insight into the Little Kyoto of Iyo.

Garyu Sanso: A national Important Cultural Property, Garyu Sanso is a mountain villa built by a Meiji-period merchant. Visit it on selected days for a cup of tea and admire the beauty of Ozu from the most scenic corner of the Hiji River.

Ozu Castle: Tour the grand fortification and feel history come alive as you admire the fortress’s collection of historic artifacts. Inquire about the Ozu Castle Stay to spend the night at the site and live like a samurai lord for a day.

Our Difference

The Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town is proud of our deep ties to Ozu and our ability to offer exclusive experiences for our guests. Whether it’s a stroll through the town or the MUNE building courtyard, a fun outdoor activity like stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) on the Hiji River, or a special treat for your companion, we will strive to make your wish a reality. While we prepare your bespoke itinerary, please stop by the lounge and enjoy a complimentary drink from the twenty kinds on offer.

Welcome

Our mission is to present our guests with the gift of time. Time that flows endlessly through the nature and culture of Japan. Time set aside to make lifelong memories with your loved ones. Time that you will one day reflect back on with a smile. We strive to give you these experiences through the art of Japanese hospitality, the distinctiveness of accommodations that tell rich stories from Japan’s great past, and the breaking of language barriers by our English-speaking staff. We hope to see you soon.

Reserve:here

Number of rooms: 28
Capacity: 2–6 guests per room
Check-in: 3:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Checkout: until noon
Languages: Japanese & English
Tel: +81 (0)120-210-289