First Look at the new hot spring ryokan with views of cascading rice terraces

Nestled in a quiet location surrounded by the nature of Mt. Yufu, this is a hot spring ryokan where the seasonal scenery of cascading rice terraces can be enjoyed.  Hoshino Resorts KAI Yufuin is scheduled to open on August 3, 2022.

Its concept is a hot spring ryokan with a sculpted landscape painted with nature’s brush, where the cascading rice terraces with Mount Yufu as a dramatic backdrop can be captured.  For example, the reflection of the clear blue sky on the water before planting rice, the fresh green leaves just after planting, the golden color of the ear of rice that spreads, and the rice straw in late autumn, etc. KAI Yufuin, built around the rice terraces was designed by Kengo Kuma, following KAI Beppu. A relaxing hot spring stay can be enjoyed as one feels the charms of Yufuin such as its rich nature and rural village landscapes.

After rice planting, the fresh green of young plants spreads, and in the summer, the grown rice moves with the wind, producing a refreshing tone. In autumn, the ears of rice grow in abundance, turning rice terraces into gold. The landscape of rice terraces with rice straws after harvest is a familiar scene of Yufuin in winter. Guests can also enjoy a mystical landscape view of the rice terrace surrounded by the morning mist from autumn through winter. There is a terrace within the premise where guests look out into the rice terraces and feel the change in season.

KAI Yufuin will have 6 room types, where all are signature rooms. One characteristic is the inclusion of a ceiling light that was inspired by firefly baskets, which were once used as sources of light by keeping fireflies in straw baskets. The lighting in the room uses rare shichito matgrass which is grown in the Kunisaki Peninsula of Oita Prefecture.  The bamboo is used for the headboards and sofa in the rooms for guests to be in close proximity to the traditional crafts and culture of this region.

For dining, the resort offers Kaiseki-style meal that incorporates local food culture, which will be served in a semi-private dining room.  The meal makes use of nature’s blessings from the mountains such that for starters, wild boar meat and shitake mushroom pate sandwiched in monaka wafer is served along with watercress salad with a dressing of kabosu citrus, a signature agricultural product of Oita Prefecture. For the special kaiseki course, shabu-shabu style hot pot of thinly sliced beef, wild boar meat, and deer meat can be enjoyed. Dipping sauce for each type of meat is prepared so that different flavors can be savored.

Address: 398 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu, Oita

Price: Starts from 35,000 JPY per night (per person in a 2 person room, includes tax and service charge, breakfast, and dinner)

Number of Rooms: 45

Directions: Approximately 10 minutes by car from JR Yufuin Station, approximately 60 mins by car from Oita Airport