KAI Kinugawa, a hot spring inn on a small hill overlooking the Kinugawa mountain stream, will again offer the "Nikko Toshogu Special Prayer Plan" from December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. The plan lets guests receive a special prayer at Nikko Toshogu, a World Heritage site, to gain energy for the new year.
Background
Kinugawa Onsen, where KAI Kinugawa is located, is a historic hot spring town. During the Edo period, only monks and feudal lords (daimyo) making a pilgrimage to Nikko were permitted to bathe there, and bathing before worship was a form of misogi, or ritual purification (according to the Kinugawa Onsen Ryokan Association's website). The plan draws on this history and on Nikko Toshogu, a World Heritage site known as one of the leading power spots in the Kanto region. It is designed to help guests recharge and support good fortune during a stay at a hot spring inn.
Feature 1: A Guests-Only Special Prayer in the Prayer Hall of World Heritage Nikko Toshogu
Nikko Toshogu was built as a shrine enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period, as "Tosho Daigongen" (東照大権現). It was registered as a World Heritage site in 1999 as part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikko." It has many power spots, including the starting point of the Hokushin Path (北辰の道), Okumiya Hoto (奥宮宝塔, the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu), and Kamishinmichi (上神道), and is known as one of the leading power spots in the Kanto region.
With this plan, guests can receive a special prayer, available only to staying guests, in the prayer hall of Nikko Toshogu. In a place that general visitors cannot enter, a Shinto priest performs the prayer, and guests pray for their wishes to come true. The experience in this sacred place is said to bring a refreshed feeling and new energy.
Feature 2: Original "Naorai Sweets" to Follow the Prayer
After the prayer, guests take part in naorai (直会), which concludes the Shinto ritual. At the shop of the long-established wagashi maker Nisshodo (日昇堂), whose products are certified as offerings to Nikko Toshogu, guests are served original naorai sweets created in collaboration for this plan. Following the naorai ritual, in which offerings made to the deity are taken down and partaken of, guests enjoy the sweets in a special space that is not normally open.
Feature 3: Preparing Body and Mind for the Visit and Fully Supporting a Good-Luck Stay
Kinugawa Onsen is a hot spring town with a tradition of more than 300 years, where only monks and feudal lords making a pilgrimage to Nikko were once allowed to bathe. Like those monks and daimyo of the past, guests prepare body and mind for the next day's prayer. This year, the guest room is prepared with the "Nikko Pilgrimage Kaiun Box" (日光詣開運箱), which fully supports a good-luck stay.
After arriving, guests first purify body and mind with sacred water (御神水), then relax with Japanese sake, otsuki-gashi castella (おつき菓子のカステラ), and tea dedicated to Nikko Toshogu. During the stay, guests try "goshuincho making" (御朱印帳づくり), combining cloth made with Kurobane indigo dyeing (黒羽藍染), a traditional craft of Tochigi Prefecture, and Mamada cord (間々田紐), which developed in a post town on the old Nikko Kaido road. This lets guests prepare their own goshuincho (a book for collecting shrine and temple seals) for the visit. Combining good luck with the hot spring, the stay prepares body and mind for the next day's visit to the shrine.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1
- 2:00 PM — Early check-in. After a break with otsuki-gashi castella and tea dedicated to Nikko Toshogu, try the "Goshuincho Making with Kurobane Indigo Dyeing and Mamada Cord" experience
- 3:00 PM — Walk around the area with "Kaiun Modern Toji Walking" (開運現代湯治ウォーキング)
- 6:00 PM — Join "Onsen Culture Iroha" (温泉文化いろは)
- 6:30 PM — Prepare body and mind in the hot spring with the help of the "Kaiun Onsen Guidebook" (開運温泉指南書)
- 7:30 PM — Dinner
- 9:00 PM — Join the local cultural activity "Mashiko Ware Night" (益子焼ナイト)
- 10:00 PM — Go to bed in preparation for the next day's visit to Nikko
Day 2
- 7:00 AM — Join "Komorebi Exercise" (木漏れ日体操)
- 7:30 AM — Breakfast
- 8:30 AM — Check out and head to Nikko Toshogu
- 9:00 AM — Prayer reception at the Nikko Toshogu shrine office
- 9:30 AM — Guests-only special prayer in the Nikko Toshogu prayer hall, then receive a commemorative gift and the KAI original goshuin
- 10:00 AM — Join the "Shogun Seating Room Tour" (将軍着座の間ツアー) around the grounds, guided by a Shinto priest or a shrine maiden
- 12:00 PM — Enjoy the KAI original naorai sweets at Nisshodo (TENTO-chocolate Nikko Honten)
Plan Overview
| Period | December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (some dates excluded) |
| Price | From ¥50,000 per person per night (based on 2 guests per room; tax and service charge included) |
| Included | Accommodation, dinner and breakfast, Nikko Toshogu special prayer fee, Shogun Seating Room Tour fee (admission fee included), commemorative gift, sacred water, KAI original goshuin, Nikko Pilgrimage Kaiun Box, naorai sweets |
| Location | KAI Kinugawa, Nikko Toshogu, Nisshodo (TENTO-chocolate Nikko Honten) |
| Capacity | Limited to 3 groups per day (2 or more guests per group) |
| Reservations | Required at least 7 days in advance via the official website |
| Note | Transfer from KAI Kinugawa to Nikko Toshogu is not included |
About KAI Kinugawa (Kinugawa Onsen, Tochigi)
KAI Kinugawa is a hot spring inn on a small hill overlooking the Kinugawa mountain stream. Mashiko ware, Kurobane indigo dyeing, Oya stone, and more are featured throughout the building, and the courtyard surrounded by trees and the guest rooms offer views of the four seasons.
- Address: 308 Kinugawa Onsen Taki, Nikko City, Tochigi 321-2526
- Phone: 050-3134-8092 (KAI Reservation Center)
- Rooms: 48 rooms
- Rates: From ¥35,000 per person per night (based on 2 guests per room; service charge and tax included; dinner and breakfast included)
- Access: By train, about 5 minutes by car from Kinugawa-Onsen Station. By car, about 25 minutes from Imaichi IC on the Nikko-Utsunomiya Road
- Official website: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaikinugawa
