Hakone Gora Karaku (Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa; General Manager Satoshi Wakayama; "Gora Karaku") and Atami Izusan Karaku (Izusan, Atami, Shizuoka; General Manager Seiya Osaki; "Izusan Karaku") are serving autumn menus that follow the changing seasons at their respective dining rooms, "Mutsuki" (六つ喜).
Atami Izusan Karaku: Simmered golden eye snapper (illustrative image)
Both Hakone Gora Karaku and Atami Izusan Karaku have been selected for One Michelin Key for three consecutive years since 2024. At the heart of the hospitality at both properties, and a destination in itself for a trip, is the main dining room "Mutsuki" (六つ喜). The name reflects the aim of filling guests with deep joy through the five senses plus a sixth element, "an experience found only here." To express this through food, the kitchen builds on the traditions of Japanese cuisine, pursuing the skill of chefs who make the most of seasonal ingredients, along with harmony with the tableware and the setting.
For autumn, Mutsuki has prepared a limited-time menu that deepens this world view. Skilled chefs bring out the natural character of ingredients at their peak, expressing the deepening flavors of autumn dish by dish. Guests can step away from daily life and spend a moment savoring the tastes of autumn.
An Autumn-Only Menu Savoring the Scenery and Flavors of Deepening Autumn
At Mutsuki, dishes are prepared by gauging the character of each ingredient at its peak and layering the chefs' skill and sensibility. Across a course that runs from the first small dish (sakizuke) to the sweets, the flavors unique to the season are expressed through heat control, knife work, harmony with the vessels, and changes in aroma and texture.
At Gora Karaku, the autumn course begins with a first dish and appetizers that incorporate autumn flavors such as Pacific saury, abalone, snow crab, ginkgo nuts, and chrysanthemum flowers. The menu is designed so that guests can enjoy changes in aroma, color, and texture while sensing the deepening autumn scenery.
At Izusan Karaku, the course begins with a first dish in which the aroma of yuzu miso layers with autumn flavors such as monkfish liver and ginkgo nuts. It expresses an autumn unique to Izusan, surrounded by sea and mountains.
Autumn menu period:
- Gora Karaku: through November 30, 2026
- Izusan Karaku: through November 15, 2026
Note: The menu items introduced here are examples.
Meet the Head Chefs of Mutsuki
Hakone Gora Karaku: Head Chef 赤星 賢
He gained experience at Nadaman's Imperial Hotel branch and went on to serve as head chef of Nadaman Sendai. At the Yokohama branch, he worked alongside Head Chef 石塚, and after a stint at Izusan Karaku, he now serves as head chef of Mutsuki at Hakone Gora Karaku. At Gora Karaku, which marks its sixth anniversary this year, he pursues the flavors of the seasons while working closely with ingredients at their peak.
Atami Izusan Karaku: Head Chef 石塚 隆也
Starting at Nadaman's Imperial Hotel branch, he served as head chef at overseas branches including Hong Kong and Singapore. After returning to Japan, he became head chef of the Yokohama branch, and he now serves as head chef of Mutsuki at Atami Izusan Karaku. Building on the traditions of Japanese cuisine, he draws on the sensibility he developed overseas to pursue dishes in which the flavors of the season and visual beauty are in harmony.
Booking a Stay
Hakone Gora Karaku Official website: https://gora-karaku.orixhotelsandresorts.com/
Atami Izusan Karaku Official website: https://izusan-karaku.orixhotelsandresorts.com/
