"Editing the City" in Hakodate's Western District - Staple Develops an Accommodation Environment with Multiple Hubs Within Walking Distance
Staple Inc. is expanding its regional revitalization in Hakodate. In Sept 2026, it will open "Portside Inn Hakodate II," creating a decentralized hotel experience connecting multiple hubs within a 10-minute walk.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 09:50 (18 min after Collected)
Staple Inc. (CEO: Yuta Oka) announces that its comprehensive regional revitalization efforts in the Western District of Hakodate City, Hokkaido, which began in 2023, are entering a new phase.
In September 2026, we will open "Portside Inn Hakodate II" (8 rooms + galette shop), expanding to a total of 9 rooms when combined with the existing inn limited to one group per day. At the same time, an accommodation environment where Staple-managed bases are scattered within a 10-minute walking distance will be completed, including the cafe "Homm" opened in February 2026 and a multi-purpose facility centered on a hotel planned on vacant waterfront land.
Simultaneously, we have started accepting accommodation reservations for the new building from today and have released some guest room information.
Accommodation Reservation Site
What is happening in Hakodate's Western District
"Portside Inn Hakodate I" opened in 2024
Hakodate's Western District once flourished as one of Hokkaido's leading commercial hubs. This area, where cargo arrived at the port and people and goods constantly passed through, gradually became quiet over a long period.
Staple began its involvement in this area in 2023. Hakodate's major landowner, Soma Co., Ltd., sympathized with Staple's philosophy, and the project started from vacant land along the waterfront in the old city area. It all began with staff members Sonobe and Hayano moving to Hakodate and building relationships with the community one by one.
We renovated a 140-year-old brick building built in 1885 (Meiji 18) for a shipping agency and opened the one-group-per-day inn "Portside Inn Hakodate I" in January 2024. Travelers from more than a dozen countries have visited, and an increasing number of people are choosing Hakodate for this place, from families staying long-term to couples holding weddings.
It's not just about running an inn. We revived a Bon Odori festival that had been discontinued for over 40 years as the cultural event "LOOOP," attracting about 1,700 people, and held the "Seikan Orai" connecting the cultural scenes of Hakodate and Aomori. Through an artist-in-residence program, Hakodate is transforming into a "place where creations are born." In February 2026, we took over the long-loved cafe water on Daisan-zaka slope and restarted it as the cafe "Homm."
Two and a half years have passed since the opening of "Portside Inn Hakodate I." At this timing, as the scenery of locals mixing with "new locals" who have newly taken root in this town and travelers has begun to spread little by little, we have decided to announce the opening of the new building.
Bon Odori "LOOOP" Cafe "Homm"
Neighborhood Map within a 10-minute walk including future development sites
Concept of the New Building | Memories of a Journey
The new building is a 3-story structure consisting of 8 guest rooms and a galette shop where travelers and townspeople naturally sit around the same table. The exterior combines regular pilasters reminiscent of Western architecture with the texture of Japanese plaster, reorganizing Hakodate's history of Japanese-Western eclecticism as modern architecture. Based on the theme of "Memories of a Journey," each room features different designs and accessories, creating a space where guests can feel the various landscapes and memories encountered during their trip.
Future Scenery and Words from Hakodate Area Manager Sonobe
What we are aiming for is not just to build a hotel, but to build up "reasons to come back to this town" one by one.
What I noticed after starting to live in Hakodate is that there are many good things about this town that you don't understand unless you live here. The combination of slopes, sea, and light, the scenery where Meiji-era Western buildings and shrines coexist, the appearance reminiscent of a port town where different cultures and times overlap, fresh seafood, hot springs in the city that you can enter from early morning, and the majestic nature that spreads out if you go a little further towards the mountains. If all these things are in place, I felt that reasons to think "I want to come again" would naturally arise.
I moved to this town two and a half years ago, turned a 140-year-old building into an inn, revived a discontinued Bon Odori festival, and took over a local cafe. And now, the new building is added, Homm is running, and the next plan is starting on the waterfront. Through connections with accommodation, food, and people in the town, we will create a stay where you can experience Hakodate's Western District as a "surface" (area). It's not about efficiently touring tourist spots, but a trip that is like living in this town for a little bit. We hope that our multiple bases will serve as an entrance to that.
Local people gathering at the mochi throwing event held on April 12, 2026
■ Related Links
Accommodation Reservation Site: https://www.portside-inn-hakodate.com/?tripla_booking_widget_open=search
Official Site: https://www.portside-inn-hakodate.com/ja/
Facility Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portsid
In September 2026, we will open "Portside Inn Hakodate II" (8 rooms + galette shop), expanding to a total of 9 rooms when combined with the existing inn limited to one group per day. At the same time, an accommodation environment where Staple-managed bases are scattered within a 10-minute walking distance will be completed, including the cafe "Homm" opened in February 2026 and a multi-purpose facility centered on a hotel planned on vacant waterfront land.
Simultaneously, we have started accepting accommodation reservations for the new building from today and have released some guest room information.
Accommodation Reservation Site
What is happening in Hakodate's Western District
"Portside Inn Hakodate I" opened in 2024
Hakodate's Western District once flourished as one of Hokkaido's leading commercial hubs. This area, where cargo arrived at the port and people and goods constantly passed through, gradually became quiet over a long period.
Staple began its involvement in this area in 2023. Hakodate's major landowner, Soma Co., Ltd., sympathized with Staple's philosophy, and the project started from vacant land along the waterfront in the old city area. It all began with staff members Sonobe and Hayano moving to Hakodate and building relationships with the community one by one.
We renovated a 140-year-old brick building built in 1885 (Meiji 18) for a shipping agency and opened the one-group-per-day inn "Portside Inn Hakodate I" in January 2024. Travelers from more than a dozen countries have visited, and an increasing number of people are choosing Hakodate for this place, from families staying long-term to couples holding weddings.
It's not just about running an inn. We revived a Bon Odori festival that had been discontinued for over 40 years as the cultural event "LOOOP," attracting about 1,700 people, and held the "Seikan Orai" connecting the cultural scenes of Hakodate and Aomori. Through an artist-in-residence program, Hakodate is transforming into a "place where creations are born." In February 2026, we took over the long-loved cafe water on Daisan-zaka slope and restarted it as the cafe "Homm."
Two and a half years have passed since the opening of "Portside Inn Hakodate I." At this timing, as the scenery of locals mixing with "new locals" who have newly taken root in this town and travelers has begun to spread little by little, we have decided to announce the opening of the new building.
Bon Odori "LOOOP" Cafe "Homm"
Neighborhood Map within a 10-minute walk including future development sites
Concept of the New Building | Memories of a Journey
The new building is a 3-story structure consisting of 8 guest rooms and a galette shop where travelers and townspeople naturally sit around the same table. The exterior combines regular pilasters reminiscent of Western architecture with the texture of Japanese plaster, reorganizing Hakodate's history of Japanese-Western eclecticism as modern architecture. Based on the theme of "Memories of a Journey," each room features different designs and accessories, creating a space where guests can feel the various landscapes and memories encountered during their trip.
Future Scenery and Words from Hakodate Area Manager Sonobe
What we are aiming for is not just to build a hotel, but to build up "reasons to come back to this town" one by one.
What I noticed after starting to live in Hakodate is that there are many good things about this town that you don't understand unless you live here. The combination of slopes, sea, and light, the scenery where Meiji-era Western buildings and shrines coexist, the appearance reminiscent of a port town where different cultures and times overlap, fresh seafood, hot springs in the city that you can enter from early morning, and the majestic nature that spreads out if you go a little further towards the mountains. If all these things are in place, I felt that reasons to think "I want to come again" would naturally arise.
I moved to this town two and a half years ago, turned a 140-year-old building into an inn, revived a discontinued Bon Odori festival, and took over a local cafe. And now, the new building is added, Homm is running, and the next plan is starting on the waterfront. Through connections with accommodation, food, and people in the town, we will create a stay where you can experience Hakodate's Western District as a "surface" (area). It's not about efficiently touring tourist spots, but a trip that is like living in this town for a little bit. We hope that our multiple bases will serve as an entrance to that.
Local people gathering at the mochi throwing event held on April 12, 2026
■ Related Links
Accommodation Reservation Site: https://www.portside-inn-hakodate.com/?tripla_booking_widget_open=search
Official Site: https://www.portside-inn-hakodate.com/ja/
Facility Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portsid