A Japanese inn passed father to son for 46 generations since 718, and the heir's death put a daughter in line for the first time

Tradition says the monk Taichō founded the Awazu hot spring and that his disciple Garyo Houshi took over its sanatorium in 718 and made it an inn. Guinness World Records lists Houshi Ryokan as the oldest family business, dating it to AD 717 and 46 generations. For more than 1,300 years the inn passed from father to son, or to an adopted son. The current owner, Zengoro Houshi, is the 46th generation. "Running the ryokan business is what males did," he told Tharawat magazine. His son died, and the family has also lost a grandson. His daughter Hisae is to lead the inn, the first woman to do so. After her, the business may go to an adopted successor or to her sister's child. An INSEAD case study of 2023 describes the hand-over as the first female succession in 1,305 years. The inn still operates around its hot spring, with a garden dating from the Edo period.