HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Stay machiya townhouses in Obama
Soak up the history and choose a tour to learn more about the city’s food, nature, history, and culture
Obama Tourism Bureau
Obama in Fukui Prefecture is a haven of traditional Japanese culture. Here you will find over 130 temples and many Buddha statues, with histories dating back to the Heian (710-1185) and Kamakura (1192-1333) eras. The city also continues to celebrate time-honored festivals and events, some of which you can no longer even see in Kyoto.
Located along the coast of Wakasa Bay north of Kyoto, the seaside city of Obama offers delicious fresh-caught fish all year round. Saba mackerel has been Obama’s main catch from as far back as the Nara Period (710-794) when traders would carry fish by foot all the way to Kyoto along a route known as Saba Kaidō (lit. ‘the Mackerel Road’).
Stay in one of seven machiya hotels operated by Machizukuri Obama Inc. in the city’s Obama Nishigumi area, an important traditional building preservation district. With the concept of "staying as if you were living in a port town that nurtured Kyoto cuisine," choose from 11 plans launched in spring 2021 that combine lodging in an historic machiya townhouse with experiences of food, nature, history, and culture that can only be enjoyed in Obama.
How to get there
About 15 minutes walk from Obama Station or 10 minutes drive from Obama Interchange (IC) if coming by car.
