Thank you for waiting! Once again this year, we’ve put together and are excited to share a ranking showing where our guests who stayed at Tsuruoka’s guesthouse “Watausagi” in 2025 came from ❣️
In 2025, travelers from 34 countries came to stay at Watausagi 🇯🇵
Hello, I’m Sachiko from the guesthouse “Watausagi.”
After finishing the 2025 tally, there’s one thing I’ve been slowly but clearly realizing.
Watausagi has become not just “a place to stay,” but a base for travelers who want to spend real time immersing themselves in Tsuruoka.
And more than anything, I was the most surprised by this year’s numbers myself.
In 2025, guests from 34 countries came to stay at Watausagi.
Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.
Even many Japanese people don’t really know Tsuruoka, Yamagata.
It’s a small town that sometimes gets the response, “Where’s that?”
And yet, travelers from all over the world are making their way here.
That fact truly makes me happy.
This time, I’ll write about what I saw through the 2025 country-by-country ranking,
from my own perspective.
2025 Guest Nationality Ranking (Based on Overnight Guests)
First, here is the country-by-country ranking.
This is compiled based on the number of guests who stayed (headcount).
In 2025, guests from Japan accounted for 61.9%, while international guests made up 38.1%.
At the top of the list were France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and India, showing that visitors came from a wide range of countries overall.
Looking only at the numbers, it seems like Japan is at the center.
But with Watausagi, the story doesn’t end there.
Another way to look at it: international guests tend to stay longer.
From our experience at Watausagi, international guests tend to stay longer.
Two or three nights is common, and some guests stay for over a week.
Meanwhile, Japanese guests tend to stay just one night more often.
Of course, some domestic guests do stay multiple nights, but in terms of proportion, international guests are more the “take-it-slow” type.
In other words, if we re-aggregate the data not by number of guests but by number of nights stayed, the proportion of international guests would be much higher.
Depending on the year, it’s even possible that overseas guests make up more than half when measured by total nights stayed.
This is what makes Watausagi interesting.
Rather than travelers who pack their schedules with sightseeing, Watausagi is chosen by those who want to savor the atmosphere of the land and slowly blend into the local way of life.
It’s a small guesthouse for travelers who want to “stay as if they live” in Tsuruoka.
The journey to Dewa Sanzan, and why Watausagi is chosen as a base.
Another major presence in a Tsuruoka journey is Dewa Sanzan.
Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono.
Even within Yamagata, this area stands out for its deep history and culture.
A journey through Dewa Sanzan takes time if you want to savor each place properly.
Rushing through it on a day trip just isn’t possible.
You walk over several days, take in the scenery, and face the experience at your own pace.
That kind of travel style comes naturally.
And by doing so, you can begin to touch the deeper meaning held by Dewa Sanzan itself.
If you’d like to learn more, please take a look at the related article.
Dewa Sanzan Shrine, a “rebirth journey” through the present, past, and future
That’s why choosing where to base yourself really matters.
Watausagi is located in the middle of Tsuruoka town.
It’s easy to reach both the sea and the mountains, and it’s convenient for planning routes to Dewa Sanzan.
It’s not flashy, but it’s a place where you can calmly organize your travel plans.
And there’s a small practical reality to this kind of journey.
Visiting all three mountains using only public transportation can be challenging for overseas travelers.
But this is where Watausagi really comes into its own.
Inconvenience creates mutual support. A summer scene at Watausagi.
In the summer of 2025, there was a scene I saw again and again.
In the living room, overseas guests spread out maps and puzzle over them together.
“Should we all chip in and take a taxi?”
“Or rent a car together?”
The next morning, travelers who arrived separately are getting ready to head out together. A small, multinational team born at Watausagi sets off toward the same mountain.
This naturally formed spirit of helping one another is Watausagi’s greatest treasure.
Because it’s not overly convenient, it creates chances for people to talk to one another.
When the destination and purpose of the journey are shared, distance naturally shrinks.
I feel that Watausagi isn’t just providing a place to stay, but also nurturing the “encounters” and the “time created together” that arise along the journey.
A community-rooted guesthouse. Food and drinks that let you mingle with local people.
Shonai is strong when it comes to food.
Seafood, mountain produce, rice.
And sake, too.
There’s so much good food here.
Many of the people who stay at Watausagi seem to be real food lovers.
“What’s delicious around here?”
That’s a question we get from guests quite often.
Tsuruoka has many local specialties.
However, the reality is that many of them are strongly influenced by the seasons.
One processed product you can enjoy all year round is sake.
Watching different empty sake bottles pile up day by day, I really feel that our guests are enjoying Tsuruoka.
The charm of Watausagi lies in its close connection to the local community.
Not just “seeing” the area as a tourist, but spending time close to everyday local life—that’s a big part of its appeal.
You can enjoy conversations with local people, travelers share tips in the living room, and regardless of nationality, everyone gets excited talking about Shonai’s food and local sake.
“Do you have any restaurant recommendations?” I love being asked that, because it lets me share seasonal flavors and local favorites.
Travelers go to the places they were told about, then come back the next day saying, “Yesterday was amazing!”
That single comment makes me feel glad I run this guesthouse.
Looking ahead to 2026: if a small summit could be held in a small town.
I’ve also been hearing that Yamagata is being featured in overseas travel media and gaining more attention.
In 2026, the number of travelers coming from abroad may increase even further.
In this small town.
In a small guesthouse in this small community.
People from all over the world sit around the same table,
sharing stories about their own countries and the things they’ve come to love in Tsuruoka.
If we could create moments like a small summit, even just like that, it would make me very happy.
お酒とごはんと会話🍶
混ざりすぎず、遠すぎず。
その距離感も、わたうさぎの居心地だと思っています。
Who Watausagi is best suited for
Rather than packing in sightseeing,
Watausagi is suited for travelers who want to savor the atmosphere of the place.
• You want to use Tsuruoka as a base to slowly explore Dewa Sanzan and the Shonai area
• You enjoy interacting with local people and fellow travelers
• You want to enjoy Shonai’s food and local sake
• You want to stay for two nights or more, living as if you were part of the place
If you find yourself wanting to spend more than just “a night’s stay” in Tsuruoka,
we’ll be waiting for you at Guesthouse Watausagi.
(Guesthouse Watausagi Official Website – Reservations Here)
Watausagi in 2026…
In 2026, Watausagi wants to keep experimenting and refining things so our guests can enjoy their stay even more.
Sachiko is constantly thinking about what she can do to help people truly take their time and enjoy Tsuruoka.
We’re also looking for staff who would like to help build the guesthouse together, as well as volunteers who want to interact with people from overseas.
Please feel free to get in touch—we’d be happy to hear from you!
That's all for today's article.
The latest updates are posted on our Instagram Stories.
Please follow us and stay tuned!
I'm happy to like and share .
English 
Japanese