A new hot spring ryokan, KAI Ureshino (界 嬉野), is scheduled to open in Ureshino Onsen, Saga Prefecture, in summer 2027. It is the first property in Saga Prefecture for Hoshino Resorts, whose "KAI" (界) brand of hot spring ryokan operates across Japan.
KAI Ureshino has 28 rooms, all of them "Satoyama Dayori Tsuboniwa Room" (里山便り坪庭の間) local-style rooms with an open-air bath overlooking a small courtyard garden. Every room lets guests soak in the hot spring water of Ureshino Onsen, which is known as one of Japan's Three Great Skin-Beautifying Hot Springs. To make the most of Ureshino Onsen's signature smooth, silky feel, a spa treatment facility called "Bihada Goya" (美肌小舎) is built into the center of the ryokan. Combining a soak in the private open-air bath in the room with a professional spa treatment, the property aims to bring out the appeal of this long-established hot spring.
Features of KAI Ureshino
1. All 28 Rooms Are "Satoyama Dayori Tsuboniwa Room" Local-Style Rooms with an Open-Air Bath
All 28 rooms are "Satoyama Dayori Tsuboniwa Room" local-style rooms. Each has its own private courtyard garden (tsuboniwa) that expresses the rich nature and satoyama (countryside) scenery of Ureshino, creating a space with the feel of Japan's rural landscape. Because every room has an open-air bath, guests can enjoy the hot spring known for its skin-beautifying qualities while looking out over the garden.
In reference to Ureshino tea, a local specialty, the rooms feature original fittings with real tea leaves worked into them, along with art inspired by the Ariake Sea. All rooms are maisonette-style, and the ceiling on the first floor is about 5 meters high, giving an open feel and a stay that is relaxed, as if living there.
2. "Bihada Goya," a Spa Treatment Facility at the Center of the Ryokan
The signature feature of Ureshino Onsen is its smooth, silky feel. To make the most of the hot spring's effects, a spa treatment facility called "Bihada Goya" is placed at the center of the ryokan. Pairing a private bath in the guest room with a spa treatment softens the outer layer of skin (keratin) in the hot spring and boosts the moisturizing effect of the treatment.
The exterior of Bihada Goya is designed after the layers of Hizen soil that have nurtured Hizen Yoshida ware, Imari ware, and Arita ware. Guests can feel the texture of the land that has produced renowned ceramics while soaking in the hot spring and moisturizing their skin.
About Ureshino Onsen
Ureshino Onsen has a long history. The "Hizen Fudoki" (肥前風土記, 713) records that "in the eastern part there is a hot spring that heals people's illnesses." It is also known as one of Japan's Three Great Skin-Beautifying Hot Springs, along with Hinokami Onsen in Shimane Prefecture and Kitsuregawa Onsen in Tochigi Prefecture. The water is a sodium bicarbonate-chloride spring rich in metasilicic acid and metaboric acid, and is said to leave the skin smooth. The area around the property is also a tea-producing region known for the "kamairi" (pan-roasting) method handed down since the Muromachi period, and is famous for porcelain such as Hizen Yoshida ware and Arita ware, with deep roots in history and culture.
Facility Overview
- Name: KAI Ureshino (界 嬉野)
- Address: Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture (嬉野市嬉野町大字岩屋川内字甲字桜ノ元甲103番4)
- Number of rooms: 28
- Facilities: Front desk, shop, dining building, Bihada Goya
- Opening: Summer 2027 (planned)
- Reservations open: Spring 2027 (planned)
