DEAR MOM

A Weekend Embraced by the Sea

Far from the city’s bustle, you find yourself where the breeze smells of the sea ― a place that feels like a distant island you somehow remember.

Just 80 minutes from Tokyo by express train.

Untouched nature and warm-hearted people await you here.

In our small hotel with only four rooms and a cozy café,
let the motherly embrace of the sea hold you softly
as you take the time to return to yourself.

Sauna, Sea and Stillness

DEAR MOM is set on a gentle hill just a two‑minute walk from a white‑sand beach,offering a beautiful vantage point over the calm waters of Ajiro Bay.

The sauna, café, and a range of thoughtful amenities are available to enrich your stay.

A place where every guest can gently come back to who they are.

Savor the quiet, unhurried moments that can be found only here.

Café to Savor the Sea and Time

We have a small café seamlessly integrated into the hotel, where you can relax with a view of the sea.
Open daily from 8am to 5pm, it welcomes locals and travelers alike, offering a warm and easy place to stop by.

Alongside our signature espresso drinks, we serve tea, juice, smoothies, and alcoholic beverages, as well as other refreshments to suit your mood.
Freshly baked danishes and croissants, homemade Basque cheesecake, sandwiches, and muffins add a gentle touch to your day.

In this quiet space where the sound of the waves softly reaches you, time seems to slow.
Moments spent here become part of the memories you take with you from your journey.

Memories of This Place

The site where DEAR MOM now stands was once Iwawada Nursery School, which served the community until 2017.
Iwawada is a quiet seaside village facing the Pacific Ocean, located in Onjuku Town on the Bōsō Peninsula, about 100 kilometers from Tokyo.
Formerly known as Iwawada Village, this small fishing community has long lived in close connection with the sea.

In 1609, a Spanish galleon, en route from Manila to Acapulco, was caught in a typhoon and wrecked off the coast of Tajiri Beach in Iwawada.
Three hundred seventeen castaways—more than the village’s population of just 300—washed ashore.
The villagers worked tirelessly to rescue them, taking the survivors into their homes and living together for nearly a month.
This warm and compassionate exchange became the beginning of friendship between Japan, Spain, and Mexico.
Today, the Mexico Memorial Obelisk stands on a hill overlooking Tajiri Beach as a testament to that bond.

Iwawada was once known as one of Japan’s three major ama(*1) regions.
Clad in indigo jackets, iso pants(*2) and their seven essential tools—including the traditional uke‑taru(*3) —the ama divers would plunge into the Kuroshio current(*4) to gather abalone, turban shells, and wakame.
Their quiet strength and unforced grace became the soul of the community, and their warmth reached even the Spanish castaways who drifted ashore centuries ago.

Many painters and photographers once drew inspiration from their quiet presence.
Even now, though their figures are no longer seen, the landscape they lived within still holds their memory in its gentle calm.

Iwawada Beach stretches in a graceful arc of white sand, a shoreline that draws surfers throughout the year.
Nearby, the fishing port welcomes anglers from afar, and in summer the coast comes alive with swimmers enjoying the gentle waters.
And yet, the town itself carries a gentle, nostalgic calm—an atmosphere that seems to gather around you, soft and welcoming.
Only 80 minutes from central Tokyo, it offers the quiet wonder of a place that feels worlds away.

*1: female divers

*2: traditional, high‑waisted trousers made for ama divers

*3: the floating wooden tub used by ama divers to hold their catch and support them as they rested on the water.

*4: the warm, powerful ocean current that flows along Japan's Pacific coast

The Meaning Behind the Name — DEAR MOM

The name “DEAR MOM” holds the memories of this place like a gentle tide—carrying with it a reverence for those who lived by the sea and a quiet gratitude for nature’s mothering embrace.

Once home to the Iwawada Nursery School, this land still carries the soft echo of mothers and children whose laughter and warmth shaped its earliest memories.

Also, once a major ama diving region, Iwawada was shaped by women who met the sea with strength and grace.Their lives held both resilience and tenderness—the quiet power of a mother.
And then, the Pacific stretches out before us, wide and unending—its generosity and boundless embrace the very reason it has long been called “the mother sea”.

The name “DEAR MOM” carries a quiet yet powerful expression of gratitude for mothers, respect for women, and reverence for the sea.

About the Building

The concept design of this building was created by architect Makoto Tanijiri, as part of the “yado journey” series.

yado is a brand that brings together the quiet thrill of a hotel and the gentle comfort of everyday living.
Designed to harmonize with the landscape and atmosphere of this place, the building offers a sense of calm and quiet wonder to all who arrive.

At its heart is a single wish: that you may feel at home here.
A place where your mind softens, even while you travel.

Embracing the memories and culture of Iwawada, DEAR MOM gently dissolves the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary—becoming a place where each visitor can find their own sense of belonging.

“yado” official website

About the Logo

We entrusted the creation of our logo to Tasya—an artist based in Bali, a surfer, and someone who holds a deep love for the sea.

We first encountered her work in a small art gallery in Haleiwa, Hawai‘i.
In that moment, we were captivated by her colors, her atmosphere, and the quiet energy within her art. We knew instantly that her sensibility aligned perfectly with the spirit of DEAR MOM.

Tasya’s work carries the life of the islands—their nature, their rhythms, and their intimate connection with the ocean.

At the center of her art is always the presence of women: their grace, their strength, their freedom, and the quiet radiance that lives within.
Through delicate lines and vivid hues, she expresses these qualities in a way that gently speaks to the heart.

Her world—free, expansive, and touched with a sense of nostalgia—beautifully reflects the feelings we hoped to convey through DEAR MOM.

More about Tasya