Himi is a relaxed seaside town in Toyama Prefecture, the last semi-major stop before the land opens up into the vast Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa. Despite its small size, Himi has a craft beer brewery, vintage shopping, a screen printing studio, singing sculptures of fish at every turn, and one remarkable inn called HOUSEHOLD.
HOUSEHOLD first welcomed guests in 2018 in the location of a former kimono company. Owners Shinya and Natsumi Sasakura, born in Toyama and Ibaraki prefectures respectively, moved to Himi from Tokyo in 2015. While searching for a regular apartment to live in, they struggled to find one with a sea view.
“What we ended up with was a big, and old, building. It was too big for two people, so we decided to open an inn. There are many reasons why we were compelled to open an inn, mostly we saw the space as a great opportunity to bring travelers to Himi. It had a good view of the sea and the Tateyama Mountain range, and was located near a train station, a famous fishing port, and great local restaurants and people. If it had not been for the encounter with this building, we would not be running an inn today.”
HOUSEHOLD comprises four rooms: two for short stays–Nami (wave) named after the room’s ocean view, and Yane (roof) named after the room’s view over the rooftops of Himi–and two larger private rooms. All rooms share a rooftop, living space, and most importantly, a kitchen. The kitchen is the center of a household and is no different here.
HOUSEHOLD benefits from both the abundance of fish and vegetables from Noto Peninsula and rice from Toyama. The breakfast at HOUSEHOLD is an edible demonstration of this, using only local and only seasonal produce. Served to all guests at the same time, it gives people a chance to meet, to slow down, and to acutely feel the season and location.
“The Sasakura Family Breakfast is a simple and rustic breakfast made by the way that we learned from our neighbors and with ingredients that we find delicious. For example, we learned how to make fish miso soup from a sushi chef of Kame-sushi; the ganmodoki is made by a tofu maker who is our neighborhood friend; and vegetables are harvested from our neighbor’s fields which we serve up steamed and as simple as possible.
Our breakfast is not as refined as you might find in a traditional Japanese ryokan, nor as lavish as a hotel buffet. However, we believe that through this breakfast, you will get a glimpse of the everyday life of Himi and the richness of its ingredients.”
Guests are encouraged to cook dinners together using ingredients they have found that day, and HOUSEHOLD also offers a Chef in Residence program.
The idea behind the inn was to connect travelers with the quotidian lives of the locals and the bounty the town has to offer. Now that they have achieved that and beyond, the next chapter of HOUSEHOLD will be one to watch.
