The mobile game and anime series "Uma Musume Pretty Derby" is a huge hit. The "Uma Musume" characters are inspired by real-life racehorses, and the series' popularity is evident from the growing number of fans visiting retired horses living in Hokkaido.

Hidaka, Hokkaido, is a region famous for horse breeding. The Shizunai Eclipse Hotel, located there, is making waves with a discount that's being called "incredibly generous" and "full of love for horses (and Uma Musume)!"

The discount in question is the "Title Achievement Plan" for Uma Musume players. In the game, players can earn "titles" based on their training results. Any user who has obtained the "Eclipse" title can stay at the hotel for an astonishing 1,818 yen (tax included) per person for one night with breakfast.

【Eclipse割！】
再び社長です。称号獲得記念プランを作りました…

・ウマ娘でEclipse称号獲得者のみ（チェックイン時確認）
・1泊1名朝食付税込1818円！(名馬エクリプスは18戦18勝)
・赤字です
・3/25-4/24の金,土,日の宿泊限定
・黒字なわけない
・電話予約限定 0146-43-3811
・かなり赤字でます pic.twitter.com/tELj71Vmz2

— 静内エクリプスホテル【公式】 (@shizunai_e) March 11, 2022

"There's no way we're making a profit."
"We're definitely losing a lot of money on this."
As they wrote, it's truly an incredibly generous offer.

To find out why they came up with such a plan, Domingo spoke with Ms. Kotomi Kudo from the sales department of Shizunai Eclipse Hotel Co., Ltd.

--Before we get to this unbelievable discount, could you first tell us about the Shizunai Eclipse Hotel itself?

Our hotel is located in the town of Shinhidaka in the Hidaka Subprefecture, about a two-hour drive from New Chitose Airport. It was formerly operated under the name "Shizunai Wellington Hotel," but we took over, rebuilt it, and it became the current "Shizunai Eclipse Hotel" in 2013.


We take pride in our breakfast, which features local ingredients from Hidaka and Shizunai. It includes handmade tonjiru (pork miso soup) and shake-meshi (salmon rice) prepared by locals, as well as shishamo (smelt) from Mukawa!

A spread of breakfast menu items

Dishes made with local ingredients

Even grilled items for breakfast

--The hotel's name already suggests a connection to horses.

Yes. Since our hotel is located in Hidaka, which can be called a sanctuary for horse racing, we named it "Shizunai Eclipse Hotel" after Eclipse, an 18th-century British racehorse with an undefeated record of 18 wins in 18 races.

Eclipse is also the origin of a famous saying that appears in the anime

--Now, I'd like to ask about the Uma Musume "Title Achievement Plan." It's an amazing offer where you can stay for an incredible price just by showing the "Eclipse" title. How did this project come about?

Well, our company president was playing Uma Musume, and he just couldn't get this title for the longest time... (The condition is to "win the URA Finals by a large margin," which, to put it simply, is "quite difficult.") After receiving advice from his Twitter followers, he finally managed to get the title and was overjoyed.

【ついに！】
突然ですが、中の人に代わりエクリプスホテル社長です。皆様のアバイスのおかげで、ゴルシ・長距離・追込でURAファイナルを大差勝ちでき、「Eclipse」の称号を手に入れました！
中の人より皆様にお礼をするべきだと言われておりますので宿泊の割引など考えます。少しお待ちください！ pic.twitter.com/LWkFzfFEi4

— 静内エクリプスホテル【公式】 (@shizunai_e) March 10, 2022

The president wanted to share this joy with the followers who had given him advice, and the next thing we knew, he had announced the "1,818 yen per night" plan on Twitter, a nod to Eclipse's 18 wins in 18 races (laughs).

--So that's how it happened! (laughs) What has the response been like?

We've received inquiries from customers about reservations, and we've also gotten calls saying, "Congratulations, Mr. President!" (laughs).

--Congratulatory calls, too! (laughs) How many inquiries are you actually getting?

Thankfully, the response has been overwhelming. We're getting about 20 to 30 inquiries a day.

--The Shizunai Eclipse Hotel has also had "Famous Horse Concept Rooms" for a while. What are those about?

We started this initiative in 2016 to delight all our guests, including tourists visiting Hidaka and horse racing fans. We renovated our suites and, with the cooperation of horse owners and trainers, displayed victory memorabilia and premium goods. In the past, we've had rooms themed after Meisho Samson, Matsurida Gogh, Kitasan Black, and Lord Kanaloa.

Meisho Samson

Meisho Samson's winner's garland

Matsurida Gogh

Kitasan Black

Kitasan Black's G1 winner's garland

Lord Kanaloa

Breakfast ticket styled like a betting slip

Autographed saddlecloths too

--Are there any plans to do this again?

Yes! We are currently planning the fifth installment, so we hope you'll look forward to it.

--Thank you very much. Finally, please give us a PR message for the hotel!

While we pride ourselves on our breakfast, our restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner. The "Chamen" we serve at lunch, a soul food of Shizunai, is very popular! We'd be delighted if you could come and try it!

The famous Chamen

Dinner offers a uniquely special atmosphere

It was quite a surprise to learn that this plan was decided on the spur of the moment after the president joyfully obtained the title...

We discovered that the Shizunai Eclipse Hotel is run by people full of love for racehorses and the horse-breeding region of Hidaka, as shown by the hotel's name and initiatives like the Famous Horse Concept Rooms.

Nearby, you'll find attractions like the famous cherry blossom spot, Nijukken Road Cherry Blossom Avenue, and the Yushun Memorial Park (Yushun Memorial Hall), which honors the achievements of famous horses beloved by racing fans.

When you visit Hidaka, Hokkaido, be sure to stay at the Shizunai Eclipse Hotel!