HOSHINOYA Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, where the HOSHINOYA brand began, is offering the "Karuizawa Warming Solo Retreat" from December 1, 2026 to February 22, 2027. Designed for guests who want to treat themselves after a year of hard work, the 2-night, 3-day program centers on "onkatsu" (warming the body) with two free-flowing hot springs, and gives guests time to face themselves in the stillness of winter Karuizawa while gently conditioning body and mind. The program is meant to care for a body that has worked hard all year and guide it back to a healthy state.
The program takes guests to two differently styled hot springs, Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu (星野温泉 トンボの湯) and the Meditation Bath, and adds spa treatments using hot spring water and sake lees, along with food experiences such as the "Horoku Hot Spring Steamed Breakfast" that warms the body from the inside.
Background
Many people today live with chronic stress from long hours at a computer and constant tension. In winter, as the cold deepens, the body tends to tighten both physically and mentally. The program was developed around the themes of warming the body and letting go of tension, as a way to reset mind and body.
Winter in Karuizawa brings crisp, clear air, and is the season when the warmth of a hot spring can be enjoyed to the fullest. The calm, quiet surroundings suit a trip devoted to facing oneself and caring for the body. Through time to rest body and mind completely, the program offers a stay for deep relaxation and for recharging energy for the new year.
Feature 1 — Two Free-Flowing Hot Springs: the "Skin-Beautifying Bath" and the Meditation Bath for Private Use
The simple hot spring water of Hoshino Onsen is mildly alkaline, soft, and smooth to the touch.
Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu (星野温泉 トンボの湯)
The source yields a rich 400 liters of water per minute. The water is neither circulated nor diluted, is replaced every day, and flows freely into the indoor and outdoor baths. The indoor bath, open-air bath, and pond are connected in one continuous stretch, with the passing time and seasons reflected on the water's surface, so the hot spring blends into its natural surroundings. Hours reserved for hotel guests in the morning let guests enjoy the hot spring in clear air.
Deep-Breathing Bathing and Private Hot Spring Use at the Meditation Bath
Lukewarm water of 38–40°C is said to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote recovery and relaxation (*1). The guests-only Meditation Bath is built with close attention to this temperature, and its water depth of 90 cm lets buoyancy loosen the body. In this program, after a lecture from a staff member on the "deep-breathing bathing method," guests can use the hot spring privately, spending time on their own while settling body and mind.
*1 Shinya Hayasaka, "Isha ga Oshieru Onsen no Kyokasho" (医師が教える温泉の教科書), Asahi Shimbun Publications
Feature 2 — Acupuncture and Moxibustion Body Care and Spa Treatments Using Hot Spring Water and Sake Lees
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Body Care
Performed by a practitioner of acupuncture, moxibustion, and judo therapy (鍼灸柔道整復師), this personalized treatment takes an Eastern medicine approach tailored to each guest's constitution. By promoting blood circulation and warming the body from the core, it helps with recovery from fatigue. The session lasts 120 minutes, giving time to focus fully on the body.
Oil Treatment Using Hot Spring Water and Sake Lees
This full-body treatment uses "Yogyoku" (養玉), which is kneaded with sake lees. A pleasant fragrance and warm treatment using moderate heat and pressure bring deep relaxation and are expected to promote blood circulation. For the facial, a Hoshino Onsen hot spring pack and a sake cream are used generously to deeply moisturize skin that tends to dry out after bathing.
Feature 3 — The "Horoku Hot Spring Steamed Breakfast" and the In-Room "Warming Mini Bar"
Meals Using Hot Spring Water and Shinshu Ingredients
Breakfast features a bowl of soy milk and sake lees broth, with fermented foods said to promote circulation, and a horoku (*2) hot spring steamed dish. Inside the horoku are nourishing dishes made with plenty of ingredients from Shinshu, such as winter eel steamed kenchin-style and oyaki with deer-meat miso and garlic chives. Steamed soft-shell turtle and mountain yam (suppon to yamaimo no habutae-mushi), said to ease sensitivity to cold and replenish qi and blood, and napa cabbage rolls with freeze-dried tofu are dishes that warm both body and mind. For dinner, "Yama no Kaiseki" offers the flavors of the winter mountains and rivers.
*2 Horoku (焙烙): a shallow unglazed earthenware dish, characterized by finishing food while preserving its moisture and aroma.
The In-Room "Warming Mini Bar" With 15 Drinks
The mini bar in each guest room is stocked with warming drinks that support the warming theme of the stay. Ginger, cinnamon, yuzu, amazake, sake, cider, and more, combining warming ingredients with ones typical of Shinshu, make up 15 different drinks.
Examples include:
- Yuzu ginger cider
- Buckwheat tea amazake milk tea
- Spice cocoa scented with shichimi
Sample Schedule
Day 1
- 3:00 PM — Check-in
- 3:30 PM — Hot spring bath at Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu
- 4:30 PM — Acupuncture and moxibustion body care
- 7:30 PM — Dinner at the main dining room, Nihon Ryori Kasuke (日本料理 嘉助)
Day 2
- 8:45 AM — Nobinobi Deep Breathing (のびのび深呼吸)
- 9:30 AM — Hot spring bath at Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu (guests-only hours)
- 10:00 AM — Special breakfast at Nihon Ryori Kasuke
- 2:00 PM — Deep-breathing bathing method lecture and private Meditation Bath
- 3:00 PM — Spa oil treatment special menu
- 5:30 PM — Dinner (separate charge)
Day 3
- 8:45 AM — Nobinobi Deep Breathing
- 9:30 AM — Hot spring bath at Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu (guests-only hours)
- 10:00 AM — Breakfast (separate charge)
- 12:00 PM — Check-out
Plan Overview
- Period: December 1, 2026 – February 22, 2027 (some dates excluded)
- Price: ¥108,570 (tax and service charge included; accommodation fee separate)
- Included:
- Hot spring bathing (Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu and the Meditation Bath)
- One private Meditation Bath session and one deep-breathing bathing method lecture
- One acupuncture and moxibustion body care session, one oil treatment, one special breakfast, and one "Yama no Kaiseki" dinner
- In-room warming mini bar
- Capacity: One group per day (limited to one guest per group)
- Reservations: Via the official website at https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/, accepted up to one week in advance
- Eligibility: HOSHINOYA Karuizawa guests
- Booking start date: September 1, 2026
- Note: Menu items and ingredients may change depending on supply conditions and schedules.
HOSHINOYA Karuizawa Facility Details
Guests stay in a hamlet set in a valley. Detached guest rooms surround a waterside, and the terraces let guests feel the changing seasons. Facing the Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest (軽井沢野鳥の森), the resort is a lodging facility where guests can rest amid rich natural surroundings.
- Address: Hoshino, Karuizawa-machi, Nagano Prefecture 389-0194
- Phone: 050-3134-8091 (HOSHINOYA central reservations)
- Rooms: 77
- Check-in / check-out: 3:00 PM / 12:00 PM
- Rate: From ¥170,000 per night per room (tax and service charge included, meals not included)
- Access: About 15 minutes by car from JR Karuizawa Station; about 40 minutes by car from Usui-Karuizawa IC; a dedicated shuttle bus is available from Naka-Karuizawa Station on the Shinano Railway
- Official website: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/
