Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato (Review)
The Beautiful Hotel Houses in the North of Fukui
Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato is a hotel complex located in Mikuni port town of Sakai City in the north of Fukui in Japan. Its original concept combines a lodging in a fully renovated traditional machiya townhouse and the enjoyment of a luxury hotel service, like starred-chef Yoshino Tateru’s French cuisine restaurant.
Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato’s complex opened in late January 2024, in the northern side of Fukui city, in the historic Mikuni port town of Sakai. The Hokuriku Shinkansen 🚅 line connecting Tokyo to Kanazawa was extended to Tsuruga on March 16, 2024 and now allows to easily reach Mikuni-cho from the Japanese capital in 3 hours by train, transiting by Awara Onsen ♨️ station.
Facing the Sea of Japan at the mouth of the Kuzuryu River, Mikuni Port is still bearing traces of its Golden Age, between the Edo period (1603 – 1868) and the Meiji Era (1868 – 1912), when it was the port of call of the Kitamaebune trade ships sailing to the north of the archipelago. The town was then enlivened by wealthy merchants and shipowners who lived in beautiful traditional homes. From these times remains a typical architectural style called kagura-date, as well as machiya townhouses and kura warehouses that the city’s current inhabitants are trying to preserve.
Accommodation blending in a historical neighborhood
Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato is based on a new and intriguing concept that mixes a stay in an authentic and renovated Japanese house and the benefits of an upscale hotel 🏨 service, with a gastronomical restaurant and a concierge service. To foster the most immersive and successful experience, the houses, independent and private, are distributed among the little streets in the neighborhood and are completely blending in the traditional landscape of Mikuni-cho.
Functioning as a detached hotel, the complex is spreading over 11 places scattered on an 800-meters radius maximum, with:
- 9 housing buildings;
- 1 restaurant; and,
- 1 hall for the hotel’s reception desk.
Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato has a total of 16 houses or apartments that can each accommodate 1 to 4 persons, that is to say a maximum capacity of about 40 customers at the same time.
Each accommodation has its own specific layout, so the hotel can cater to specific needs, such as a parking space or accessibility for persons with reduced mobility. It is also possible to stay several nights in a row changing house every night to try all the various ambiances and amenities.
Staying at the Bishamon House
We stayed at the Bishamon House, that benefited from a very good renovation, providing all the comfort expected from a private home in Japan:
- A fully furnished kitchen;
- A living-room with a sofa and a dining table;
- A bathroom with a beautiful wooden tub;
- 2 rooms at the upper floor offering either a Western-style or a Japanese-style bedding tatami.
All the equipment is new and qualitative, and the decoration is traditional and elegant, giving character to the place, with for example:
- Old paintings on the walls;
- Bonsai trees;
- Preserved old beams highlighting beautifying the remarkable ceiling.
A digital tablet provides all the touristic information about the area in lieu of paper leaflets.
Tateru Yoshino’s French gastronomy restaurant
The full experience of Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato includes the excellent cuisine of chef Tateru Yoshino, the most French of the Japanese chefs. Chef Yoshino indeed studied in France under big names like Joël Robuchon (1945 – 2018). Acknowledged by his peers, one of his restaurants was awarded 1 star by the Michelin Guide, and he manages several other restaurants in Japan, including Maison Tateru Yoshino in Osaka (definitely closed in March 2025) and Tateru Yoshino Mikuni Minato.
The restaurant is homed in a former kura warehouse and is hosting the hotel’s dinners and breakfasts. It serves several French dishes with a local twist, as they are prepared using ingredients of Fukui area, that are also grown in the large garden beds of the restaurant’s inner garden.
Dinner is arranged with a perfect pairing of wine and food, and includes some of chef Tateru Yoshino’s signature dishes, such as a cabbage mille-feuille with foie gras and truffle. Plates of vegetables, fish and meat follow one another before sweet deserts, and we refrained from showing picture so as to prioritize the experience at the restaurant.
Breakfast is hearty and similar to a brunch, with:
- Yogurt and fruit coulis;
- A small portion of fresh salad;
- Onion and lard soup; and,
- Benedict style poached eggs.
Viennese pastries are also available to complete a meal that is already quite fulfilling.
We were welcomed warmly by Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato, which provides an upscale experience in an authentic environment and far from the tourist crowds of large cities like Tokyo and Kyoto.
We recommend taking the time to discover the historical and architectural heritage of Mikuni port. Guided tours are organized by the hotel to introduce the town’s main sites, local artisans’ workshops and exhibitions related to the kitamaebune, such as cleverly designed wood chests used at the times to ship merchandise.
The hotel can serve as a base for several one-day trips to discover Awara Onsen spa village, Maruoka Castle 🏯, Eihei-ji temple or Tojinbo cliffs at sunset. The cities of Fukui and Echizen are also easy to reach by train or by car 🚙 from Mikuni-cho.
