Oga, Akita's "Kura Sauna and Cultural Property Inn Moricho" Named to Forbes JAPAN's "Destinations of the Year 2026" The 30 Collection

Kura Sauna and Cultural Property Inn Moricho, located in Oga, Akita, and operated by See Visions Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Akita City, Akita Prefecture; representative: Akihiro Shoji), has been named one of the 30 honorees — "The 30 Collection" — in the Forbes JAPAN Destinations of the Year 2026 tourism awards, hosted by Forbes JAPAN and co-hosted by J-CAT.

About Forbes JAPAN Destinations of the Year 2026

Forbes JAPAN Destinations of the Year 2026 is a newly established tourism award for 2026 that spotlights operators creating locally rooted, high-value experiences. From more than 200 candidates, judges evaluated entries across four criteria — cultural evolution, regional distinctiveness, circular business models, and sustainability — before naming 30 winning operators as "The 30 Collection."

Special site: https://forbesjapan.com/feat/destination_award/

Selection Highlights

Moricho carries on the history of a ryokan long loved in this Oga port town, reviving a roughly 100-year-old registered tangible cultural property with a contemporary sensibility. Its stay style — enjoying a sauna built inside a traditional kura storehouse, called "Namomi Sauna," alongside Akita's food and sake, while connecting with the local way of life and its people — along with its role as a hub carrying regional culture into the future, were the qualities recognized in the selection.

About Kura Sauna and Cultural Property Inn Moricho

Staying in a cultural property and traveling Oga as if living there — that is Moricho's concept. While carrying on the history of a ryokan long loved in this port town, the inn has given a roughly 100-year-old registered tangible cultural property a contemporary revival. Through the kura-storehouse Namomi Sauna and Akita's distinctive food and sake, it offers a stay that connects guests with the everyday life of the area and the people who live there. Translating traditional culture into a contemporary form, Moricho aims to be a new kind of travel hub that carries the cultural property and local culture into the future, cultivating rich, unhurried time that is unique to Oga.

Representative's Comment

"I'm truly honored to have our inn's name included among Forbes JAPAN's selections, and at the same time, it gives me a renewed sense of responsibility. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to the staff who have built Moricho together with me, and to every guest who has come to love this inn.

We have always aimed to be more than simply a place to stay — a destination where guests can connect with the history of Oga, Akita, and the warmth of its people. Taking this recognition as encouragement, we will keep preserving tradition while continuing to create new value, building an inn chosen by guests from Japan and around the world."
— Akihiro Shoji, Representative, See Visions Co., Ltd.

Kura Sauna and Cultural Property Inn Moricho — Facility Overview