The Kazawa-kan Ryokan in Tsumagoi, Gunma, is scheduled to be demolished in the coming months. The traditional inn suffered serious damage due to a landslide caused by the Typhoon Hagibis in October 2019. Facing an astronomical repair bill and with the recent pandemic decimating the local tourism market, the 4th-generation owner made the difficult decision to cease operations.
The ryokan was opened in 1934 by the owner of a grocery store in nearby Ueda City. The main ryokan and a separate 3-story European style ryokan (destroyed by fire in 1954) were built on a half-acre lot. It was popular in the winter season due to the nearby ski fields. The second floor of the main building was designed with a 100-tatami mat banquet room that was often used by locals for wedding functions.
Heavy rainfall during the typhoon last year saw the ground floor severely damaged by a landslide, with the gas, electricity and water all knocked out. To restore the interior, both cosmetically and structurally, would cost several hundred million Yen.
This will be the third of the seven remaining ryokan in the Kazawa onsen district to have closed in recent years.
Location
Tashiro, Tsumagoi, Gunma Prefecture
Source: The Jomo Shimbun, July 13, 2020.
