Fukui's Michelin-Recognized Village Retreat Redefines Slow Luxury Travel

Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato, a decentralized lodging facility located in the historic Mikuni Port area of Fukui Prefecture, invites intrepid travelers to discover exquisite Fukui cuisine and the art of slow living along the Sea of Japan coastline.

FUKUI, Japan, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Core Global Management Co., Ltd. operates Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato, aiming to create meaningful connections between travelers and the local community through restored merchant homes, local cuisine, and cultural experiences.

Its exceptional hospitality has earned it the Michelin Guide Hotel Selection for two consecutive years.

Official Website: https://en.homachi.jp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homachi_mikuniminato/

A Serene Escape

The auberge, located just a few hours from Kyoto via the recently extended Hokuriku Shinkansen line, feels worlds away from the crowds. With overtourism reshaping how travelers move through Japan, Fukui Prefecture is drawing renewed attention for its commitment to cultural preservation.

While some regions of Japan now strain under the weight of mass tourism, Fukui Prefecture remains the country's best-kept secret: a place where tradition is alive, community thrives, and residents consistently rank among the happiest in Japan.

The Village Is Your Hotel

This sense of community is strengthened by the revitalization of the village's traditional Japanese architecture for Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato. Its 16 Japanese-style suites located in nine independent heritage houses scattered throughout the village, including kagura-tate machiya townhouses and the grand homes of Edo- and Meiji-era merchants.

These historic homes have been lovingly restored to preserve them for generations to come. Each property tells a distinct part of Mikuni Minato's story, and features architecture and materials from the region: warm Fukui timber, blue-hued Shakudani stone, and handmade furnishings that reflect the town's traditional crafts. Guests benefit from both the privacy and quiet of a house, and the immersive 'live like a local' experience, walking to the restaurant for dinner, wandering its narrow pathways, or strolling along the port, just as the village's merchants once did.

Discovering Authentic Japan

Guests at Homachi are welcomed to explore the rhythms of local life and interact with the community and its history. Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato provides unprecedented access to local venues, such as Takeyoshi, a shamisen cafe. It offers guests a glimpse into bygone Japan during a 30- to 60-minute experience, held daily from 10 AM to 4:30 PM.

Participants wear traditional kimonos and enjoy matcha tea and wagashi sweets as a local musician with 60 years of experience plays the traditional three-string instrument and teaches guests to play, too. Within this sea-salt-weathered property are nostalgic photographs from the time when the area was a geisha district.

The auberge partners with numerous other skilled locals to offer lantern making and shrine prayers, enabling visitors to engage authentically with the community on a deeper level, and to become temporary residents of Mikuni Minato.

Activities: https://en.homachi.jp/activity/

Michelin-Recognized Dining by Chef Tateru Yoshino

This sleepy port village has caught the Michelin Guide Hotel Selection's attention, which noted that the auberge's chef, Tateru Yoshino, is "a veteran of some of Japan's finest French kitchens, and applies French techniques to Fukui seafood, with impressive results."

Chef Yoshino, who trained under chef Joël Robuchon at Paris' Jamin restaurant, has received Michelin stars for his restaurants in both France and Japan.

His neoclassical French cuisine celebrates Fukui's natural abundance, including Echizen crab, a winter delicacy considered the "king of crabs," which is presented annually to Japan's Imperial Household, and melt-in-the-mouth sweet shrimp freshly caught from the port. The menu reflects the village's history as a stop for Kitamaebune trading ships that once carried kelp and spices along the Sea of Japan. In Yoshino's hands, these ingredients are transformed into dishes that marry French flair with the precision of Japanese culinary arts.

"Cooking is about dialogue," says Chef Yoshino. "Between land and sea, between history and today, and between Japan and France."

Meaningful Travel

The name "Homachi," meaning "waiting to sail," refers to the time when sailors paused and waited here for favorable winds. During this time, sailors would sell cargo brought aboard or handle other cargo work to earn compensation. This evolved in Mikuni to mean pocket money or rewards for children. Fittingly, a stay at Homachi offers modern travelers a rare gift, the chance to pause and reflect before moving forward in their journey.

After pausing at Homachi, travelers can easily continue their journey to some of Japan's most well-preserved destinations. Within a one- to two-hour train ride lie the historic castle town of Maruoka, one of Japan's oldest surviving wooden castles; the serene Eiheiji Temple, a centuries-old Zen monastery surrounded by dense cedar forests; and Kanazawa, often referred to as "Little Kyoto" for its beautifully preserved samurai and geisha districts, contemporary art museums, and elegant gardens.

Access

Located in Fukui's Sakai area, the hotel is accessible from Awara Onsen Station (JR) via the hotel's free 20-minute pickup service (by reservation only).

From March 2024, the Hokuriku Shinkansen is due to extend to Awara Onsen Station. With speeds of up to 260 km/h, the trip takes around three hours (2hr 59 min.) from Tokyo Station.

Approximately 2 hours from Nagoya

Approximately 2.5 hours from Osaka

Link to images

Top:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SD8mg7QKziZ4A0mTvRI2U-eCK0GYt_5w/view?usp=drive_link
Shamisen experience:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O37yWPKxTywVdjKCVwjk8oRBtZOPhG4J/view?usp=drive_link
Others:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1avcJdGdL8ZS6sGHWE6rYSLS_eXMKWe6C?usp=drive_link

News Release (PDF):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gmen1-4bMe7eRjL4Fx8-qRMpDL8EojEF/view?usp=drive_link

Fact Book:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cWCQ_hzw5A36Wjza4kh45Oj6Qk9HoGaw/view?usp=drive_link

About CORE GLOBAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LIMITED
Core Global Management Co., Ltd. was established in 2007. Its goal is to create memorable stays for the guests by connecting them with the local culture. The company works with each hotel to design a unique story to fit the location, optimizing the locale's atmosphere, cuisine, and potential for activities.

Official Website：https://en.homachi.jp/

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SOURCE CORE GLOBAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LIMITED