Koman (hotel)

Sennen no Yu Koman (千年の湯古まん) is a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) in Kinosaki, Toyooka city, Hyōgo prefecture, Japan.

Koman was founded in 717. This makes it a long-established business (shinise), the second oldest hotel in Japan and one of the oldest companies in the world.

The ryokan was established by Hiuke Gonnokami (日生下権守) and his descendants founded local bath houses in Kinosaki Onsen. The establishment was passed on for over 46 generations.

The history of the ryokan is based on two historic documents: the Hiuke Family Heirloom Chronicle (Hiuke-shi Kahō Kyūki 日生下氏家宝旧記), which summarizes the history of Kinosaki Onsen, and the Mandala Chronicle (Mandara-ki 曼陀羅記), which describes the creation of the Kinosaki hot spring resort, and the establishment of Mandarayu (曼陀羅湯) hot spring. These documents have been handed down over many generations.

In 708, Hiuke Gonnokami, a descendant of Hiuke family, is said to have had a dream that led to the establishment of the nearby Shisho Shrine (四所神社 (豊岡市). Then in 717, a Buddhist priest named Dōchi Shōnin (道智上人), came to the shrine to pray. He did this for 1,000 days, when he is said to have used his vajra to cause a hot spring miraculously appear.

According to Koman's website, the sacred place where Dōchi Shōnin did his religious practice was called the Mandara Yashiki (曼陀羅屋敷). After that, the name of the residence became Mandara-ya (曼陀羅屋). Mandara-ya changed its name to Komandaraya (古曼陀羅屋) in the Meiji (era) (1868 – 1912) before being re-named as the current Sennen no Yu Koman (千年の湯古まん). The website notes that neighboring Mandarayu Bath (Mandara-yu まんだら湯), 80 meters to the south, is a modern establishment opened after 1868.

Other sources indicate that Mandara-yu (not Mandara-ya) is renowned as one of Kinosaki’s very first hot springs. The town of Kinosaki appears in various historical documents that can authenticate its founding to 720 AD.