Yobuko, Saga Prefecture, home to one of Japan's three major morning markets, is unveiling a new way to experience this bustling port town. Rather than just a day trip, visitors can now wake to the morning market buzz, savor the harbor's quiet moments, and truly immerse themselves in local life.
Amina Collection Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa) has been developing a comprehensive stay hub that brings together food, lodging, and sauna. Following the May 2025 opening of Jinroku Fruit Shop and the November preview of JIN6 Sauna, the project reaches completion with Jinroku Morning Market Dining on January 16, 2026, and Nakao Jinroku HOTEL on January 30, 2026. This integrated base offers a fresh approach to exploring Yobuko—centered on the morning market, visitors can enjoy the entire port town at a relaxed pace throughout the day.
Food: Jinroku Morning Market Dining (Opening January 16, 2026)
A New Morning Market Base: Dining on Fish and Dashi in Yobuko
Jinroku Morning Market Dining opens at 7:30 AM along Yobuko's morning market street. Inspired by the fishermen's breakfast tradition, the restaurant features fresh local catch and seasonal ingredients. It's a place to experience Yobuko's culture and morning hours while feeling the market's energy.
Jinroku Morning Market Dining's Specialties
Dashi (Broth)
Chef Kihachi Kumagai personally visited Yobuko to understand the land and its climate before supervising the menu. The restaurant uses a unique dashi blend centered on Kyushu ingredients, carefully selected to honor each ingredient's natural flavor.
Rice
The restaurant blends Saga Prefecture's premium rice brands "Sagabiyori" and "Yumeshizuku" in a unique ratio. Carefully milled aged rice is cooked in a clay pot with dashi, drawing out the rice's sweetness and the broth's umami to perfect each bowl.
Fish
Fish primarily comes from the Genkai Sea. To showcase the powerful umami of fish raised in rough waters, cooking methods and seasonings are adjusted for each species.
A Multi-Sensory Menu
Four types of seafood bowls are available: red fish, white fish, shiny fish, and a three-kind assortment. Each comes with ara-jiru (fish head soup) and small side dishes, served in Karatsu-yaki pottery for visual and tactile enjoyment. Finish with Kumagai's special dashi poured over the rice for ochazuke—a two-stage dining experience in one dish.
Special Rates for Nakao Jinroku HOTEL Guests
Guests staying at the hotel (main building or annex) with breakfast plans can enjoy Jinroku Morning Market Dining's signature seafood bowls at a special discounted rate. Savor luxurious seafood alongside the morning market's vibrant atmosphere.
The second floor of Jinroku Morning Market Dining houses Yonesho Bettei, an annex of Nakao Jinroku HOTEL.
Address: 3768 Yobuko-cho Yobuko, Karatsu City, Saga 847-0303
Lodging: Nakao Jinroku HOTEL (Opening January 30, 2026)
Main Building with Ocean Views and Three Town-Integrated Annexes
Two lodging styles are proposed: the main building for immersion in harbor scenery, and annexes scattered through town for a lived-in experience that suits different travel styles.
Main Building
All eight rooms offer ocean views, with harbor energy by day and tranquil evenings. A quintessential Yobuko lodging experience where guests gaze at the port town's daily rhythm, far from everyday life.
Official Website: https://hotel.jinroku-yobuko.com/
Address: 3079 Yobuko-cho Yobuko, Karatsu City, Saga 847-0303
Tel: 0955-58-7072
Superior corner rooms feature large windows on two sides, flooding the space with light and ocean views.
Hotel and sauna exterior
Hotel front desk (also serves as JIN6 Sauna reception)
During your stay, relax in the shared lounge with a welcome drink in hand.
Annexes (Traditional Houses) – 3 Buildings
Three historic houses, nearly 100 years old, have been revitalized. Original beams and stonework preserve the buildings' character while offering modern comfort. Located close to the sauna and dining, these annexes let guests explore Yobuko on foot, experiencing life as a local would.
Kumamoto Bettei (Above Jinroku Fruit Shop)
A lodging space on the second floor facing the morning market street. The first floor houses Jinroku Fruit Shop's shaved ice cafe, with the entire upstairs available for guests. The open layout and thick pine beams create a striking space where you can feel the market's energy just outside.
Kumamoto Bettei: accommodates up to 4 guests
Yonesho Bettei (Above Jinroku Morning Market Dining)
This annex occupies the second floor of Jinroku Morning Market Dining, offering 130 square meters of open space surrounding a central courtyard. Heavy beams and soft light create a memorable atmosphere, with the morning market's liveliness nearby.
Yonesho Bettei: accommodates up to 8 guests
Urata Bettei
A two-story standalone townhouse opposite the Nakao family estate. Large second-floor windows overlook the estate, Inari Shrine, and the sea beyond. Once a fishing warehouse, the building retains its calm, historic character while offering comfortable modern lodging infused with the town's heritage.
Urata Bettei: accommodates up to 6 guests
JIN6 Sauna (Preview Opening November 2025)
JIN6 Sauna, which opened ahead of the main hotel, is an experiential sauna themed around Yobuko's culture: whales, squid, and kilns. Alongside unique sauna rooms, guests can enjoy an elevated water bath, live fish tank cold plunge, and other features that playfully engage with the port's relationship to water. Outdoor relaxation areas let you feel the sea breeze, creating a space to reset both mind and body. The sauna's proximity to the hotel makes it easy to move between facilities, encouraging guests to roam the town's scattered hubs and naturally experience daily life in Yobuko.
Official Website: https://sauna.jinroku-yobuko.com/
Special Rates for Hotel Guests
Guests staying at Nakao Jinroku HOTEL or the annexes can use JIN6 Sauna for a special rate of ¥1,100, with unlimited access throughout their stay (operating hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM). Available before check-in and until 1:00 PM on the day of checkout. Enjoy the luxury of refreshing your mind and body in the harbor breeze, a privilege reserved for overnight guests.
Day-Use Rates (Tax Included)
- Adults: Weekdays ¥2,970, Weekends/Holidays ¥3,850
- Junior High/High School Students: Weekdays ¥1,485, Weekends/Holidays ¥1,925
- Elementary Students: Weekdays/Weekends ¥1,100
*2.5-hour limit; extension fee ¥550 per 30 minutes
*Elementary and junior high students must be accompanied by a guardian. High school students must bring ID for age verification.
*This is a co-ed facility; swimsuits must be worn. Reservations are not required.
*Swimsuits, ponchos, and sauna hats available for rental (fees apply).
*Rates above apply from January 30, 2026 (Friday).
Exploring Yobuko: The Whole Town as One Stay Experience
This project connects scattered facilities throughout town, allowing guests to enjoy Yobuko as a unified stay hub. Refresh in the sauna, savor seasonal fruit treats, feast on seafood at the dining hall, and sleep overlooking the harbor—by visiting the already-open Jinroku Fruit Shop (shaved ice) and JIN6 Sauna, even a day trip can reveal Yobuko's everyday life, transforming it into vivid travel memories. Circulating among the town's facilities further expands the possibilities of a Yobuko stay.
Seasonal fruit shaved ice from the Karatsu-Yobuko area
Jinroku Fruit Shop interior
The Kujira no Machi Okoshi Project
Once home to the prosperous Nakao family (trade name: Nakao Jinroku), who thrived as whale guild masters and served as a source of regional pride, this project carries forward that historical legacy in a modern context suited to today's times. Through crowdfunding, the initiative has received widespread support and empathy, evolving beyond simple tourism development into the Kujira no Machi Okoshi (Whale Town Revitalization) project—an effort to preserve and pass on Yobuko's culture and daily life.
Official Website: https://kujira-yobuko.com/
About Amina Collection Co., Ltd.
Amina Collection Co., Ltd. celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Guided by the principle "Bringing Vitality to the World," the company has continuously introduced folk arts and traditional cultures from around the globe to modern audiences since its founding.
Corporate Website: https://bit.ly/4su0kZ9
