HOSHINOYA Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, where the HOSHINOYA brand began, is offering the "Healing Winter Retreat" (癒しの冬ごもり旅) from December 1, 2026 to February 23, 2027. The retreat is designed for guests who want to forget the bustle of daily life and be wrapped in the stillness of winter. During the stay, guests can freely use three free-flowing hot springs all day, and refresh themselves with "Nobinobi Deep Breathing" (のびのび深呼吸), a stretch done in sub-zero air. At the kotatsu seats overlooking the terraced rice paddies, winter-only dishes such as "Hanamame White Miso Zenzai" and a medicinal herb hot pot are served. The retreat also includes a bar experience on the ice under a starry sky and a "future letter" written to oneself one year from now. In all, six stay programs are offered that can be experienced only in Karuizawa in the quiet of winter.
Background
Winter in Karuizawa, at an elevation of 1,000 meters, is the quietest time of the year, as the sub-zero cold muffles the sounds around. In the clear air, the soft lights of the property and the night sky stand out sharply, and the beautiful contrast between light and darkness is another appeal of the season. Demand is growing for "komori" trips (おこもり旅), in which travelers stay in to get away from the bustle of modern society and reset body and mind, and for "retreat" trips that use hot springs to restore one's condition (*1). Against this background, HOSHINOYA Karuizawa came to see Karuizawa's distinctive cold and stillness as an ideal environment for quietly facing oneself. Blending the free-flowing Hoshino Onsen, abundant nature, and the food culture of Shinshu into the stay, the retreat is a special stay that fills body and mind with warmth and healing, possible precisely because it is winter.
*1 Survey Report on the Basic Survey Project for Creating Attractive Tourism Content Based on Global Trends (世界的潮流を踏まえた魅力的な観光コンテンツ造成のための基礎調査事業 調査報告書), Japan Tourism Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
1. Three Free-Flowing Hot Springs to Enjoy All Day, to Suit Your Time and Mood
In the morning, guests can relax in the open-air bath at "Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu" (星野温泉 トンボの湯), surrounded by the scent of the forest, and gently wake body and mind. In the afternoon, when sunlight streams in, they can enjoy a foot bath on the terrace overlooking the water features. The contrast between the crisp winter wind and the warmth of the water brings a sense of calm. The day ends at the "Meditation Bath," where guests move between rooms of light and darkness to settle the senses, and the dreamlike space leads to deep sleep. During the stay, guests can freely enjoy these three differently styled hot springs all day, to match their mood and physical condition.
Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu (星野温泉 トンボの湯)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM (last admission 9:15 PM)
- Price: Free
- Reservations: Not required
- Location: Hoshino Onsen Tonbo no Yu
- Note: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM is reserved for hotel guests only
Foot Bath Overlooking the Water Features
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Price: Free
- Reservations: Not required
- Location: Meditation Bath Terrace
Meditation Bath
- Hours: 3:00 PM to 10:00 AM the next day
- Price: Free
- Reservations: Not required
- Location: Inside HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
2. "Nobinobi Deep Breathing" to Wake Body and Mind in Sub-Zero Air
This is a stretch original to HOSHINOYA Karuizawa that incorporates abdominal breathing. By drawing the sub-zero winter air deep into the chest and carefully stretching the whole body, guests quietly face their own bodies, which they do not usually pay attention to. Spending time adjusting breath and body while feeling the quiet winter scenery up close gently calms the mind and wakes body and mind pleasantly.
- Hours: 8:00 AM and 8:45 AM (twice a day)
- Price: Free
- Reservations: Via the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/) until 6:00 PM the day before
- Location: Chaya (茶屋)
3. Winter-Only "Hanamame White Miso Zenzai" at Kotatsu Seats Overlooking the Terraced Rice Paddies
In winter, the trees around the Terraced Rice Paddy Lounge (棚田ラウンジ) lose their leaves, the sound of flowing water becomes even more distinct, and the space is wrapped in deep stillness. Kotatsu are set up at these outdoor seats, creating a space where guests can stay comfortably without worrying about the cold. The dish served is "Hanamame White Miso Zenzai" (花豆白味噌ぜんざい). The sweet bean paste is made with hanamame beans, which rank number one in Japan in production volume, and combined with miso, a fermented seasoning representative of Shinshu. The fluffy, refined sweetness of the hanamame and the mellow saltiness of the white miso bring out the best in each other. Guests can spend a relaxed afternoon snack time amid the winter scenery.
- Hours: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Price: ¥1,500 (tax and service charge included)
- Reservations: Via the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/), accepted until 6:00 PM the day before
- Location: Terraced Rice Paddy Lounge (棚田ラウンジ)
4. "Winter Valley Medicinal Herb Hot Pot": Venison in a Broth Made With Three Medicinal Herbs
This "Medicinal Herb Hot Pot Course" was created jointly by Yomeishu Seizo (養命酒製造), headquartered in Nagano Prefecture, drawing on its research into medicinal herbs and its knowledge of Eastern medicine, and the executive chef of HOSHINOYA Karuizawa. Surrounded by the rich aroma of medicinal herbs rising with the steam, guests spend a healing time savored with all five senses. The main hot pot uses ingredients with "warming" properties that protect the body from the winter cold, such as ginger and venison, as well as ginseng, jujube, and ginger, which replenish "qi" (energy) and "blood". As guests sip the warm broth, the nourishing flavor of the herbs gradually spreads through the body, and the chilled body feels warmed from the inside.
- Hours: From 5:30 PM
- Price: ¥24,200 (tax and service charge included)
- Reservations: Via the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/), accepted until 5 days before
- Location: Terraced Rice Paddy Lounge and Nihon Ryori Kasuke (日本料理 嘉助)
5. "Best Seat on the Ice" Under the Stars in a Sub-Zero Forest
The Forest-Side Cafe & Bar (森のほとりCafe＆Bar) stands at the entrance of the nationally designated Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest (軽井沢野鳥の森), surrounded by forest on all sides. For winter only, seats are set up on the ice. Countless stars twinkle in the night sky, and the crack of branches freezing, the whisper of cold wind through the trees, and the occasional hoot of an owl create a mystical winter space. With a hot cocktail of apple and kuromoji (Japanese spicebush) in hand, guests can enjoy the exceptional beauty of the forest at night that can be experienced only in winter.
- Hours: 8:30 PM to 11:00 PM (last admission 10:00 PM)
- Price: Service charge ¥500; drinks from ¥800 each
- Reservations: Via the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/dining/); same-day reservations may be possible depending on availability
- Location: Forest-Side Cafe & Bar (森のほとりCafe＆Bar)
6. "Teibun no Fuyugomori" (綴文の冬ごもり): A Future Letter to Yourself One Year From Now
To close the trip, an experience is prepared in which guests put the afterglow of the healing they felt in nature and the hot springs into their own words. On the final day, guests open a "fumibako" (文箱) box containing letter paper and a brush in their guest room, and write down their current state of mind with senses sharpened by the journey. The finished letter is kept by HOSHINOYA Karuizawa and delivered to the guest in winter one year later. It becomes a letter to the future self, back in the bustle of daily life and busy days, that helps reset body and mind.
- Note: The set is prepared in the guest room for the duration of the stay.
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 enjoy time to 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
- Opened: July 20, 2005
- Official website: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/
