**************
"Happy New Year from Sakata "
— Wakaba Ryokan, where time gently plays its tune.
As the busy season of the year-end and New Year holidays has finally settled, we are grateful for this moment to share our New Year’s greetings with you.
Please forgive us for being just a little late
Here in Sakata, snow began falling on New Year’s Eve and reached its peak on the morning of January 3rd. Almost as if it knew our rhythm, the snow arrived in perfect harmony with our busiest days a curious, quiet kind of synchronicity to welcome the beginning of 2026.
This New Year marks my tenth year in Sakata and at Wakaba Ryokan.
Living here, I am reminded once again that nature in Tohoku is not only beautiful,but also powerful, demanding respect and humility.
Oh well, it is something we feel not only with our eyes, but deeply, through our skin and our days.
Perhaps because of this, here in the Shonai region by the seaside, a culture of people supporting one another continues to
live on — naturally, warmly, and sincerely.
In 2026 as well, Wakaba Ryokan will continue to cherish its connection with warm local community, striving to be a place where every guest is offered not just a stay, but a memory —not just a moment, but a feeling that lingers.
Thank you, as always, for your continued smile and visit.
We look forward to welcoming you in the year ahead.
New Year, Reiwa 8 (2026)
Wakaba Ryokan — Where Time Plays
Third-generation Innkeeper
Keita Yano