NEWS
詳細Murata Town, Miyagi — Where History Meets Community Living
GAIA Resort’s Distributed Stay Experience
Located in southern Miyagi Prefecture, 村田町 is a charming historic town known for its traditional warehouse streets, sacred stones, and deep cultural heritage.
Scattered throughout the town are unique spiritual sites such as ancient rock formations believed to bear mythical handprints, massive boulders enshrined as sacred objects, and a rare shrine built directly into a natural rock hollow. Simply walking through Murata allows visitors to feel the layered history and everyday life of the community.
Within this culturally rich townscape, GAIA Resort currently operates three distributed accommodation properties.
Rather than concentrating guests in a single building, GAIA Resort revitalizes existing homes and structures across the town, transforming the entire community into one integrated hospitality experience.
This approach allows guests to:
- Live within the rhythm of local life
- Experience history and culture firsthand
- Connect naturally with residents, food, and landscape
It is not just about staying overnight — it is about forming a relationship with place.
▼ GAIA Resort properties in Murata Town
https://gaia-resort.net/lineup/keyword/%e5%ae%ae%e5%9f%8e%e7%9c%8c%e6%9d%91%e7%94%b0%e7%94%ba
From Murata to Zao — Creating New Community Hubs Through Tourism
Building on its work in Murata, GAIA Group is also developing a new project in the Togatta Onsen area of Zao.
A GAIA-owned building in the hot spring district is being transformed into a multifunctional regional hub operated in collaboration with local revitalization teams, medical and welfare organizations, and tourism partners through the Zao Welfare Forest Cooperative.
Scheduled to open this spring, the site will include:
- A craft beer brewery
- Togatta’s first GAIA Resort accommodation
Together, these facilities will serve as a gathering point for visitors and locals alike — blending hospitality, employment creation, and community exchange.
▼ GAIA Resort Onsen Area Properties
https://gaia-resort.net/lineup/keyword/%e6%b8%a9%e6%b3%89
Staying in the Town. Growing with the Community.
GAIA Group does not view tourism as simple consumption.
Instead, our goal is to build living hospitality — places where travel becomes a bridge between people and regions.
Through Murata’s historic streets, Zao’s hot springs and forests, and the dedication of local residents, GAIA Resort creates environments where:
- Visitors become long-term supporters of the region
- Communities gain sustainable economic and social vitality
- Culture and nature are preserved through everyday use
This is our vision of regenerative tourism.
By weaving accommodation into the fabric of daily life, GAIA Resort offers a new style of travel — one rooted in connection, continuity, and care.
We will continue working hand-in-hand with Murata, Zao, and partner communities to expand this model and share a new way of experiencing Japan:
not just visiting a place, but becoming part of it.