[First in Japan] Updating 1,300 Years of Hot Spring Cure Culture. A Pharmacy Opens Inside a Hot Spring Ryokan, Offering Stays that Tune Body, Sleep, and Diet

Wataya Besso Co., Ltd. (Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture; CEO: Yoshimoto Kohara; hereafter Wataya Besso) will welcome Ailie Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; Group Representative: Takashi Aoshima; hereafter Ailie Pharmaceutical) to its on-site Onsen Incubation Center (OIC) on December 1, 2025, launching the "Yakuhaku (Medicine Stay)" project, a new style of stay aimed at opening a pharmacy inside the ryokan.

Five years have passed since 2021, when we stepped beyond the boundary of a "ryokan = a place to sleep" and began our journey toward a "ryokan you frequent." Next, Wataya Besso aims to evolve the ryokan into a "place to tune the mind and body."

The value created by the intersection of a pharmacy and a ryokan is not merely an improvement in medical access. By combining the expertise of Ailie Pharmaceutical—which handles dispensing pharmacies, pharmaceuticals, health foods, and regenerative medicine—with the 1,300-year hot spring culture of Ureshino Onsen, we will provide a stay experience that comprehensively includes diet, sleep, aroma, and mental care starting in April 2026. Furthermore, establishing a pharmacy within a ryokan facility is the first of its kind in Japan*.
*According to company research

### A New Concept: A "Pharmacy" in a Hot Spring Ryokan
While many tourists visit hot spring resorts, medical points of contact to consult when feeling unwell during a trip have been limited. The in-ryokan pharmacy will provide health consultations by pharmacists and physical condition support during the stay, serving as a hub to support peace of mind and health experiences during the hot spring stay.
Establishing a pharmacy inside a ryokan facility is a first in Japan*, and it will broadcast a new health tourism model from the hot spring resort.
*According to company research

### Hot Spring Stays = Time to Tune Up.
Since ancient times, Japanese hot springs have taken root in people's lives as "toji" (hot spring cures) aimed at medical treatment and health maintenance. We will reinterpret this traditional toji culture to suit modern lifestyles.

Based at the pharmacy established inside the ryokan, we will fuse hot springs, pharmacists, and wellness to provide a new value of stay that is close to each individual's mind and body. Tuning the body with the hot spring, supporting health with specialized knowledge, and proposing wellness habits connected to daily life. By doing so, we will re-edit Japan's wellness culture starting from the hot spring, creating a "Japanese-style longevity" that realizes a sustainable and rich life.

### What Only Ureshino Onsen Can Do.
Recorded in the "Hizen no Kuni Fudoki" from the Nara period, the ancient Ureshino Onsen boasts a history of over 1,300 years and has been cherished by many as a place for toji since olden times. It is also one of Japan's leading tea-producing areas, rich in food culture and natural environment, fostering a regional culture where not only hot springs but also food and lifestyle are closely connected.

Wataya Besso creates a new health stay model unique to a hot spring resort by combining these regional resources with the expertise of pharmacists. We will transmit the next generation of hot spring culture from Ureshino Onsen.