About this hotel
General information
HOSHINOYA Karuizawa is laid out as a village in a wooded valley in the Hoshino area of Karuizawa, where the Yukawa river runs between the Karuizawa National Wild Bird Sanctuary and Hoshino hill. A stream threads through the grounds, and paths and pavilions follow the lie of the land; some 700 trees moved aside during construction were planted back once building was done. Lighting is kept deliberately low, in the Japanese taste for shadow, so that the moon and stars carry the night.
The 77 rooms occupy detached guest pavilions built with traditional Japanese methods and left without televisions or clocks. Much of the energy is made on site: a hydroelectric plant and geothermal heating drawn from the hot spring cover about 70% of the resort’s needs, while the river doubles as a regulating pond for the plant. Flying squirrels glide in from the neighbouring forest along protected routes, and birdwatching sets the rhythm of a stay in every season.
Location
The resort lies in the Hoshino area of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Asama. Karuizawa Station is 80 minutes from Tokyo Station by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, then 15 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes by local bus. A free shuttle for arriving and departing guests leaves from the south gate of Naka-Karuizawa Station, five minutes from Karuizawa on the Shinano Railway; seats are reserved in advance. By car it is about 40 minutes from the nearest motorway exit; Haneda Airport is 3 hours by car or 2.5 hours by train, Narita 3.5 hours by car or 3 hours by train. Parking is free, and the Harunire Terrace walkway of restaurants and cafés is close by.
Spa
HOSHINOYA Karuizawa Spa works around the idea of balancing body, mind and spirit, with oil treatments and meridian acupressure given by nationally certified therapists; it is open to guests aged 18 and over, with some body treatments from 16. There are two onsen: the Meditation Bath, reserved for hotel guests, where a space of light gives way to one of complete darkness, and Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu, with a deep indoor bath of hinoki cypress and a rustic open-air rock bath, kept for hotel guests alone from 9:00 to 10:00.
Sports & leisure
Most of what the resort offers draws on the forest and the countryside around it:
- Guided nature walks with Picchio’s naturalists in the Karuizawa National Wild Bird Sanctuary forest — mornings all year, afternoons in season, with binoculars to rent
- Flying squirrel watching at sunset, in season (ages 4 and over)
- Horse riding along the foot of Mount Asama after a practice session at the stables (ages 9 and over)
- Pottery with a local potter (ages 3 and over)
- Morning stretching with abdominal breathing and a free tour of the resort’s valley village
- Wellness stays: the three-day Sleep Tourism Program built around sleep (16 and over), Digital Detox Stay with hot springs and forest bathing away from devices, and Forest Wellness with forest walks, hot springs and herbal cuisine (18 and over)
For children
The Kids’ Room is open daily from 7:00 to 17:00, and evening childcare from 17:00 to 21:00 can be booked in advance.
Restaurants & bars
Room rates do not include meals; breakfast and dinner are reserved separately.
- Kasuke — the main dining room, its seating modelled on riverside terraces and its granite walls on mountains: Alpine kaiseki from regional produce, including sashimi of carp raised in water from the foot of Mount Asama, plus beef shabu-shabu in a mushroom broth with soba, a vegetarian kaiseki on kombu broth and a Japanese breakfast built on vegetable broth
- Tanada Lounge — an outdoor lounge open around the clock, with seating set around rice terraces and seasonal Japanese sweets in the afternoon
- Cafe & Bar by KERA-IKE — a café-bar at the edge of the forest serving its own original drinks
- In-room dining — dinner made with ingredients chosen by the head chef, a Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, stone-pot rice and miso soup or a continental breakfast on the balcony, and light meals and drinks from 10:30 to 22:00
- Sonmin Shokudo — a restaurant nearby in the Hoshino area: Japanese set meals and soba at lunch, small dishes and a four-course menu of local produce in the evening, with sunken horigotatsu seating
Pets
Dogs stay only in dedicated dog-friendly rooms (up to two dogs recommended), with proof of rabies and combined vaccinations required; these rooms can be booked only from within Japan.
Rooms
The 77 rooms sit in detached pavilions of three types — Mizunami by the river, Yamaroji on the hillside and Niwaroji with gardens of their own; in winter the floors are warmed by heat from the hot spring, and in summer natural breezes cool the rooms.
Every room has a bathroom with a bathtub, a separate toilet with an electronic bidet seat, a Bluetooth speaker, reading light, humidifying air purifier, kettle, minibar, safe, blackout curtains, loungewear for adults and children, pyjamas, slippers, bath amenities, a hairdryer and free Wi-Fi; there is no television and no clock.
Yamaroji (Mountain view, 2nd floor)
An upper-floor room at the top of the hillside steps, looking out over the Wild Bird Sanctuary: a bedroom with two bed-style futons, a living room and a balcony, for up to two guests.
Mizunami (Water side king)
A cosy villa with a king-size bed and a sofa living room opening onto a wide terrace over the water, for one or two guests.
Yamaroji (Mountain side)
A ground-floor hillside villa among the trees, with a bedroom of two or three bed-style futons, a living room and a balcony, for up to three guests.
Mizunami (Water side)
A villa along the river with a balcony reaching out over the water, a spacious bedroom with three bed-style futons and a living room; up to four guests, the fourth sleeping on the sofa.
Niwaroji (Junior villa maisonette)
A two-storey detached villa on a lane set back from the water: a spacious living room with a children’s corner, a patio and a large garden downstairs, and a bedroom with three beds upstairs, for up to three guests.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.