Hotel Koo Otsuhyakucho
Japanese-Scandinavian design fusion. Traditional machiya exteriors with carefully preserved latticework and tokonoma alcoves inside, furnished with museum-calibre Danish designer pieces. Quiet, residential, deeply local.
Book breakfast in advance — it doesn't happen automatically. The unagi chazuke using eel from next-door Tanimume Suisan is worth it.
Why It Matters
The first hotel in Japan situated inside a shopping arcade. Its 'Stay Funding' model donates revenue to the surrounding district — a genuine community revitalization project, not just a marketing line. Architecture by Yoshiji Takehara (Moo Architect Workshop); interiors curated by Otsu-based shop Plus Rogoba. Winner of the Good Design Award 2018. Also a Design Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy-partner property.
Hotel Koo is Japan's first 'shopping street hotel' — 13 rooms spread across seven restored 100-year-old machiya townhouses right in Otsu's old shopping arcades along the former Tokaido Road. The interiors are a head-turning fusion of traditional Japanese architecture and 1960s-80s Danish design: Finn Juhl sofas, Hans Wegner chairs, Arne Jacobsen Series 7 desks. Opened in 2018 with a mission called 'Stay Funding' — part of every stay goes back into the local community — it won the Good Design Award that same year.
Where You'll Stay
13 room types available
Junior Suite Chaya 201
Elegant second-floor Chaya suite overlooking a Japanese garden by Toshiya Ogino. Features a second living area over a dramatic double-height doma space, with Jaime Hayon Fri Chair and Arne Jacobsen Swan Chair. PH Artichoke pendant lamp suspended below is the centrepiece. Separate bathtub bathroom; 50m from reception.
1 semi-double bed (120cm) · 47 sqm
Junior Suite Chaya Garden (JSTE)
Serene first-floor Chaya Wing suite with direct views of a private courtyard garden. Traditional tatami area for tea rituals or quiet moments alongside modern furniture including Arne Jacobsen Egg and Swan Chairs. Separate bathtub bathroom with garden views.
2 semi-double beds · 51 sqm
Standard Twin Chaya 102
Street-facing room in the historic Chaya building along the old Tokaido Road. Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chair at a generous desk, overhead rain shower, and a minibar stocked with local teas, hotel coffee blend, Namagashi sweets, and Shiga wine.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 30 sqm
Standard Twin Chaya 202
Second-floor Chaya room with wooden floors and a minimalist open-shower bathroom. In October, the Otsu Festival floats parade directly in front of this building. Same Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chair setup; minibar with local Shiga wine and sweets.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 30 sqm
Standard Twin Chaya 203
Compact tatami-style second-floor room with a decorative ranma transom and traditional tokonoma alcove. A Jaime Hayon Sammen chair adds a modern accent. Overhead rain shower; Otsu Festival float views in October.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 29 sqmSuperior Twin Ohmiya 201
Largest room in the Ohmiya (reception) building, with two adjoining tatami rooms and views of the Tokaido Road. Fritz Hansen Join table and Yamakawa Rattan low chairs; LE KLINT Snow Drop lighting. Spacious separate bathroom with full-length bathtub. Note: kitchen is one floor below so some noise possible.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 42 sqmSuperior Twin Ohmiya 202
Charming Ohmiya room with tatami and wooden floors, high ceilings with exposed beams, and Tokaido Road views. Carl Hansen & Son Elbow Chair and CH22; LE KLINT Snow Drop and Fritz Hansen Kaiser Idell lighting. Separate bathroom with bathtub.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 41 sqmSuperior Twin Ohmiya 203
Most compact Ohmiya room, but high ceilings and a quiet alley view make it feel bigger than it is. Wooden floors, large work desk, Carl Hansen & Son CH88 chair, Louis Poulsen ABOVE and Panthella Mini lighting. Bathtub included.
2 semi-double beds (120cm) · 32 sqmVilla Kagiya
Set in the alley behind the Ohmiya reception building among traditional machiya row houses. Tokonoma alcove, a second-floor study, and a catwalk overlooking the atrium added in a recent renovation. Finn Juhl Japan Sofa and Chair, Ole Wanscher Colonial Coffee Table, Overgaard & Dllmenn Wire Dining Chair, Fritz Hansen B603. Full kitchen. Sleeps 4.
Twin beds · 93 sqmVilla Koujiya
Former geisha district building on narrow lanes lined with traditional row houses. Finn Juhl No.45 Chair, 46 Sofa, and Eye Table alongside Nana Ditchell ND-01 and Ring Chair, and Hans Wegner PP701. Full kitchen and dining area. Sleeps 4.
Twin beds · 88 sqmVilla Maruya
Largest villa in the collection, with a dramatic skylit atrium. Second-floor master bedroom has two beds; futons can be laid in the adjoining tatami room for groups. Finn Juhl Baker Sofa, Card Table, Eye Table; Yamawaka Rattan Zaisu Chairs; Fredericia Piloti Coffee Table; Louis Poulsen lighting. Two-minute walk from Ohmiya reception. Sleeps 5.
Twin and futon beds · 100 sqmVilla Suzuya
The smallest of the villas, set in the heart of the shopping street. Playful details — a small second-floor window overlooking the back lane, and a former laundry converted into a cozy study. Eve Conford Larsen IL-10, Finn Juhl FJ-01 No.53, Fritz Hansen Join, and Fredericia Piloti Coffee Table. Mini kitchen rather than full kitchen — the surrounding restaurants are the point.
Double bed (102cm) · 75 sqmVilla Yorozuya
Taisho-era row house in the quietest of the three linked arcades. Earthen plaster walls, polished doma floor, coffered ceiling, and tokobashira column preserved from the original. Finn Juhl Pelican Chair, Hans Wegner Y Chair, and Ib Komford Larsen Elizabeth Chair. Full kitchen. Miidera Temple and Lake Biwa Canal within easy strolling distance. Sleeps 5.
Twin beds · 91 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The hotel concierge (16:00–21:00 at Ohmiya) can make dinner reservations at neighborhood restaurants, many of which require advance booking of at least a day. Guests can also contact staff via tablet from their room.
Guests can dress in hand-made silk kimonos passed down through generations of a local Otsu kimono instructor's family — not polyester tourist versions. Includes a professional photographer to accompany a walk through the old town.
A guided walk through Otsu's surviving historic machiya townhouses, explaining how their design differs from region to region across Japan. Runs daily from 10:00, approximately 1 hour. Run by hotel guides. Reservation requested.
A free daily guided tour of the local shopping arcades led by hotel staff. Introduces guests to shops operating since the Edo period, Lake Biwa freshwater fish dealers, funazushi (fermented funa carp sushi) makers, and Japanese sweet shops popular with locals. About 1 hour. Departs 16:00.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Dedicated lounges in Ohmiya and Chaya buildings. Complimentary coffee, herbal teas, handmade cookies all day (7:30–21:00); sake and Shiga wine during aperitif hour (18:00–19:00).
Free WiFi in all rooms and throughout the entire facility.
Strictly no smoking anywhere in the facility, including guest rooms. Penalty of 3 additional nights charged for smoking in rooms due to wooden structure concerns.
A furniture and tapestry showroom operated by Taniguchi Komuten (hotel owner), one minute's walk from JR Otsu Station toward Ohmiya. Worth visiting for design fans.
All rooms fully air-conditioned. Buildings have been comprehensively insulated and soundproofed during renovation despite being 100-year-old wooden structures.
All beds use Sealy mattresses with Kyoto-based Iwata luxury mattress pads and down comforters — same level as Four Seasons and Sheraton.
iPad provided in all rooms for entertainment and concierge access.
Available 16:00–21:00 at the Ohmiya reception building. Also reachable by tablet from guest rooms.
Room service available.
Available 10:30–21:00 at Ohmiya. Luggage is delivered to your room before you check in, so you can explore freely. Also available after check-out.
No dedicated parking. Guests should use nearby coin parking lots.
Whole-building villas include IH cooking range, cooking utensils, plates, glasses, coffee cups, dishwasher, and microwave. Mini refrigerator stocked with complimentary drinks in all rooms.
BUILD YOUR HOTEL KOO OTSUHYAKUCHO PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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