During a time of unprecedented tourism in Japan, you might think every town in the country is as crowded as Kyoto- however, many areas have yet to be explored! I felt like the only visitor during my visit to Tatsuno City- it was so peaceful!

Walking past a nostalgic house in Tatsuno.

This is pretty surprising, considering it’s less than 30 minutes from Himeij, a popular tourist spot in Hyogo. I rarely encountered another tourist, and the residents I spoke to expressed a desire to host more visitors. For other beautiful places close to Himeji, check out my article on Ieshima Island and Fukusaki.

Serene view in Tatsuno Park

Tatsuno is well known for its seasonal visits. In the fall, thousands of maple trees create beautiful autumn foliage around the base of the mountains. In the spring, locals enjoy the soft pink sakura blooms around the castle ruins. While these events draw in many local tourists, Tatsuno is still a hidden gem for those visiting from abroad.

Koi fish swimming in the waterway next to the street

Perfect for a day of quiet and peaceful bicycle exploration, Tatsuno offers many charms. Below, I’ve compiled a list of them.

Access

Getting to Tatsuno is easier than you might think! The nearest Shinkansen stop is Himeji Station, which the Hikari Shinkansen serves. From Himeji, simply take the Kishin Line to Hon-Tatsuno Station.

Along a street in Tatsuno.

The most convenient way to explore the city is by renting a bicycle near the station. Head to the Tatsuno Tourist Information Center to register. Bike rentals(The official website is only available in Japanese, so please use a translation tool.) are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cost 1,500 yen for three hours and 2,000 yen for six hours. By bike, I was quickly able to visit everywhere I wanted to go.

Renting a bike is a great way to explore the city.

Alternatively, you can also take a taxi to the old part of town, where the samurai residences and castle are located. If the weather is nice, it’s only a 20-30 minute stroll from the station to this area. If you enjoy walking, strolling around the town is a great way to fully appreciate the details of all the old houses in the area.

The city has many peaceful spots to relax.

What to expect in Tatsuno City

Tatsuno City boasts architecture similar to Kyoto, with many traditional houses, cafes, and tiny guest houses. It’s fantastic to see how many different eras of Japanese architecture have been preserved here—you can see buildings spanning over 250 years, from the 18th century to the early Showa era (1926-1989).

Tatsuno boasts many photogenic spots around the traditional buildings.

The locals are very open and friendly to tourists, making the city feel welcoming. The air is filled with the scent of soy sauce due to the presence of the largest soy sauce factory in the area. Many cafes incorporate soy sauce into their menus- so get ready to try some creative soy sauce-based cuisine.

History of Tatsuno

Tatsuno, originally part of the ancient Harima Province, was a significant location on the Izumo Kaidō highway , an important trade route. It was also home to Kinoyama Castle, a stronghold of the Akamatsu clan during the Muromachi period (1336-1573).

Many streets in Tatsuno look like they are frozen in time.

During the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), the area became the Tatsuno Domain. Tatsuno flourished as a castle town under various rulers, including the Wakizaka clan, who governed for 200 years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

A samurai armor on display in a traditional house.

Known as the "Little Kyoto of Harima," the old town retains historic samurai residences and earthen storehouses. Tatsuno was officially established as a city in 1951, and in 2005, it expanded through a merger of nearby towns.

Wooden houses are often lost to fires or natural disasters, but Tatsuno’s buildings remain.

Tatsuno’s relatively peaceful history and geographical location helped preserve the older houses known for the area. Being remarkably spared by war, fires and natural disasters helped to keep these mostly wooden buildings from disappearing.

Roof tiles and windows change depending on the era in which the building was constructed.

Earlier buildings can be identified by design. Typically, buildings in Tatsuno built before the Meiji period (1868-1889) were only two stories high with low ceilings, while buildings built after have higher ceilings with eaves exceeding 4.5 meters high. You can also identify the period of the buildings by noting the difference in roof tiles and window lattices. For a more detailed explanation, Tatsunos official website(The official website is only available in Japanese, so please use a translation tool.) provides great visual examples.

Visiting Usukuchi Tatsuno Soy Sauce Museum

An old photo of Usukuchi Tatsuno Soy Sauce Union

Formerly a soy sauce factory for over 400 years, the Usukuchi Tatsuno Soy Sauce Museum became the first soy sauce museum in the entire Japan in 1979. It’s easy to walk to from the station, and it only costs 10 yen to visit! The original home of the still-produced Higashimaru soy sauce, this affordable museum is a great way to understand the process of making the most popular condiment in Japan.

The lobby of the Usukuchi Tatsuno Soy Sauce Museum.

The interior of the museum consists of the old headquarters and former factory facilities of Higashimaru Soy Sauce, which are designated as tangible cultural properties.This factory specializes in making light soy sauce, which is different from the more common dark variety you see around the county.

Traditional tools used in the making of soy sauce

The museum has preserved parts of the interior of the factory and features many of the original items used in the making of soy sauce. You can see the huge barrels that the soy sauce fermented in, which are surprisingly tall, and there are explanations of the exhibit in English.

The barrels used for soy sauce production.

After exploring the exhibits, you can also find a small shop at the end that sells a variety of soy sauces and soy sauce-flavored foods that make great souvenirs.

Taisho-Roman Museum

After visiting the soy sauce museum, I knew I had to try one of Tatsuno's many soy sauce flavor snacks! So I headed to the Taisho-Roman museum, which is conveniently right next to the soy sauce museum. 

Inside the Kura Terrace cafe

I visited the Kura Terrace cafe next to the museum complex to grab a snack. Since I knew I wanted to get sushi later, I decided to just chill with a soy sauce soft-serve ice cream. It might sound strange, but the light soy sauce flavor went well with the creamy soft serve!

Soy sauce soft cream.

The Taisho-Roman Museum is the former office of the Tatsuno Soy Sauce Industry Association, which was converted into a tourist information center in 2017. Along with information about Tatsuno, it’s a nice place to take a break. Along with the aforementioned cafe, there’s also a shop selling local products.

Exterior of the Taisho-Roman museum.

The highlight of the museum is the exterior. Built in 1924, the building is an excellent example of the Western-style architecture that became popular during the Taisho era (1912 -1926). This whole area has a lot of historical buildings, so it’s fun to explore and enjoy the scenery.

Showa Retro Scene Museum

From the full-size architecture of the Tatsuno old town, my next destination took me to another era entirely in Japan.

Located inside an over 200-year-old traditional Japanese home is a whole other world frozen in time, laid out across an impressively large diorama. This handmade town has been painstakingly created in miniature to depict a Showa-era streetscape.

Inside the Showa Retro Scene Museum

The level of detail draws you in to look at every kanji written on the storefronts, to the tiny laundry hanging from the balconies. You can even borrow a magnifying glass to get a better look. The lighting of the scene changes regularly from day to night every 30 minutes, and trains run every 30 minutes as well.

The owner of the museum working on the diorama.

It took the owner 13 years to build this diorama, fueled by his nostalgia for the Showa-era and childhood hobby of creating small objects. The owner used his memories to recreate the nostalgic Japan’s scenery, often depicted in the "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" movies (A Japanese film series featuring Kiyoshi Atsumi as Tora-san, a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love). Tatsuno was a filming location for the film “Tora-san: Sunset Glow,” the charming scenery depicted in the movie has not changed much since its filming in 1976!

Details of the Showa diorama.

This was one of the most intriguing places in the city for me. I loved chatting with the owner about his passion for miniatures, and you could tell how much love was put into making this museum.

Sushi & Vegetable Kokoro

Inside Sushi & Vegetable Kokoro.

I was pretty hungry by the time I biked to Sushi & Vegetable Kokoro. Because of Tatsunos location between the sea and mountains., making a well-balanced meal featuring both fresh fish and local vegetables is easy!

Tiny sample sushi at Sushi & Vegetable Kokoro.

Located inside a renovated traditional house, I was surprised at how big the cafe was inside! The warm wood coloring of the interior felt very cozy, and it was a nice place to sit and relax for a while. The little displays and decorations around the restaurant were so cute!

My sushi meal at Sushi & Vegetable Kokoro.

I ordered the mini seafood bowl and nigiri sushi set lunch. The sushi bowl came topped with fresh slices of mixed raw fish on top of fresh rice with a generous helping of wasabi on the side. The sushi bowl and nigiri were fresh and filling, and I felt ready to continue exploring Tatsuno after my tasty lunch break.

Saku Sweets and Coffee

Although I was pretty full from lunch, I couldn't resist checking out Saku Sweets and Coffee. The entrance has a traditional gate leading into a building that’s been around since the Meiji period (1868-1912). It’s really amazing how many traditional buildings from different parts of Japanese history have survived in Tatsuno!

The gate at the entrance of Saku Sweets and Coffee.

The inside of the cafe looks and feels similar to going into a local Japanese home. The interior looks just like a family living room, so it felt very comfortable here. I ordered a cup of coffee and enjoyed taking in the space. The coffee was good and they had a decent selection of coffee beans. I went with their recommendation, and the quality of my coffee was really impressive.

A delicious cup of coffee at Saku Sweets and Coffee.

Filled with locals, I felt like I was in the heart of the community. It’s a great place for people to watch and soak in the atmosphere of local Tatsuno.

Autumn Leaves Valley and Tatsuno Park

A gazebo inside Tatsuno Park.

Tatsuno may be unknown to foreign visitors, but it’s famous in Japan for its vibrant, colorful leaves in autumn and beautiful sakura trees in the spring. Even though I came to visit during the summer, the Autumn Leaves Valley was still wonderful to walk around.

A path inside the Autumn Leaves Valley.

Maple trees are everywhere, so I can imagine how pretty the park gets in the fall! But walking under the vibrant green leaves helped keep the sun off me and was very enjoyable. The park was tranquil, and I didn’t encounter many other people. The slope in the park is a bit challenging, so make sure to wear good walking shoes.

Ruins of Tatsuno Castle 

Reconstructed building inside the ruins of Tatsuno Castle.

Tatsuno Castle was originally built as a mountaintop castle and later became a flatland castle during the Edo period.he The Honmaru Palace, the white castle walls, the Tamon Tower, the Sumiyagura(corner turret) Gate, and other structures have been recreated.

The Sumiyagura (corner turret).

Since it’s free to enter, you can take your time to stroll around and enjoy the details of the buildings. The area is also full of cherry blossom trees, so it’s a great place to see the light pink blooms in the spring.

There are many sakura trees in the grounds of the castle ruins.

When you enter the current castle ruins, you can see an excellent view of the city. Looking over the wooden structures and older tiles of the buildings' rooftops, it really felt like looking back in time.

View of Tatsuno City.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed my time in Tatsuno City! I could have spent days exploring all the cute cafes tucked into old buildings, biking around more of the parks, and trying the local soy sauce-inspired food. I would love to visit again, especially in the spring to see the beautiful sakura in bloom!

Since Tatsuno is still pretty unknown to foreign tourists, it’s an amazing place to enjoy the seasonal colors of autumn and spring without the crowds. This hidden gem is like a little Kyoto, without the crowds, but with all the charm of traditional architecture.