Tsuruya's beginnings date back to the year following the emergence of Awara Hot Springs, in the 17th year of the Meiji era, when the first proprietor, Yoshida Kichiuemon, opened an inn for hot spring healing.

During World War II, it was requisitioned as an army hospital, and it suffered great damage in the Fukui Earthquake and the Great Fire of Awara.

However, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it has continuously revived and walked hand in hand with the history of Awara Hot Springs.

The current main building is designed and constructed by the late Hirata Masaya, a renowned master of the Sukiya-zukuri style from Osaka, creating a structure with the charm of a tea room and a traditional Japanese restaurant.

Since its establishment, all employees have been dedicated to preserving and conveying the traditional Japanese inn's ambiance.







【The History of Awara Onsen】

In the past, the hot spring area at the center of Awara Onsen was a low-lying marshland.

In the sixteenth year of the Meiji era, a farmer living in Horie Jūraku in the town dug a well seeking irrigation water, and a hot spring gushed out.

This marked the beginning of Awara Onsen.

The following year, in the seventeenth year of the Meiji era, several hot spring inns opened, welcoming spa guests. In the forty-fifth year of the Meiji era, with the opening of the former National Railway Mikuni Line, the area developed as a hot spring town.

Since then, it has overcome numerous natural disasters and accidents, including World War II (Showa 20), the Fukui Earthquake (Showa 23),the Awara Fire (Showa 31), the heavy snowfall of Showa 38, and the Nakhodka incident (Heisei 9), to reach where it is today.

Renowned master of Sukiya architecture, Hirata Masaya, known for his exceptional work in over 400 buildings, was a representative figure of the Showa era.

He was not only adept at drafting plans but also skilled as a carpenter, creating a unique style known as "Hirata Sukiya.

" His dedication to his craft was well-known, famously saying that architecture cannot be wrapped up and taken back if one is not satisfied with the finished product.

His legacy includes many iconic buildings such as Komagata Bridge "Kiccho," Kinosaki "Nishimuraya," Atami "Daikanso," and Hachikaichi "Shofukuro.

" Tsuruya is also one of his works.

Despite being hit by the Great Fire of Awara during construction, the main building was completed, embodying Hirata's innovative sense and aesthetic to this day.