Mercure Kyoto Miyazu Resort & Spa in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, is an all-inclusive resort hotel where guests can see Amanohashidate, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views, from inside the building. From December 26, 2026 to January 17, 2027, the hotel holds a variety of year-end and New Year events. During this period, a special dinner buffet features red snow crab and beef steak, and programs let guests experience a traditional Japanese New Year, including a lion dance, traditional New Year games, first calligraphy (kakizome), and a kite-making workshop. At the start of the new year, sake from a local brewery is also served, so guests can enjoy the region's food culture and seasonal customs during their stay.
Most of the special menus and activities are included in the accommodation rate and can be enjoyed at no additional charge. Some programs, such as the kite-making workshop, require a fee.
Special New Year Buffet With Red Snow Crab and Beef Steak
For a limited time over the year-end and New Year holidays, beef steak appears at the live kitchen of the dinner buffet. It is served alongside red snow crab (legs) from the Sea of Japan, a winter delicacy, as a special menu available only at this time of year. It adds a festive touch to meals shared with family and loved ones.
At the start of the new year, a lion dance (shishimai) also visits the area in front of the restaurant. Having one's head bitten by the lion is a traditional Japanese custom to pray for good health and protection from illness.
- Period: December 30, 2026 (Wednesday) to January 2, 2027 (Saturday)
- Dinner buffet hours: 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
- Lion dance: January 1 (Friday) and January 2 (Saturday) only, planned for around 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
- Location: Restaurant "Locavore," 2nd floor of the hotel
New Year Sake Serving
To celebrate the new year, the hotel serves sake from Hakurei Shuzo (ハクレイ酒造), a long-established brewery in Miyazu.
- Dates and hours: January 1, 2027 (Friday) and January 2 (Saturday), 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM; January 3 (Sunday), 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- Location: Lounge on the 1st floor of the hotel
New Year Games and Kite Making for Family Memories
First Calligraphy (Kakizome)
Once the new year begins, guests can write their New Year's resolutions or favorite words with a brush in the traditional "kakizome" (first calligraphy of the year). The finished pieces are displayed in the lobby the next morning.
- Period: January 1, 2027 (Friday) to January 3 (Sunday)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- Location: 1st floor, in front of the shop
Water Calligraphy Experience
Yuka Senga (千賀由香), who runs a calligraphy school in neighboring Yosano Town, leads a water calligraphy experience. Because the writing is done with water, there is no need to worry about getting hands or clothes dirty, and guests can write dynamically on large panels.
- Date: January 2, 2027 (Saturday)
- Hours: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Location: Lobby on the 1st floor
- Note: The writing disappears once it dries.
Traditional New Year Games
A space for traditional New Year games such as spinning tops (koma) and kendama is set up inside the hotel. These are toys that different generations can play together, so everyone from children to grandparents can enjoy them.
- Period: December 26, 2026 (Saturday) to January 17, 2027 (Sunday)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM
- Location: Free space on the 1st floor
Original Kite-Making Workshop
Guests draw a favorite picture on a plain white kite and then fly it in the hotel garden. The kite can be taken home as a memory of the winter vacation.
- Period: December 30, 2026 (Wednesday) to January 3, 2027 (Sunday)
- Hours: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Location: Free space on the 1st floor
- Fee: 500 yen with advance reservation, 1,000 yen for same-day participation (tax included)
- Note: Capacity is limited, and advance reservations take priority.
Year-end and New Year stay in Miyazu, Kyoto (hotel official page)
Tango Sake Brewery Tour (丹後酒蔵めぐり): A Limited-Time Local Sake Tasting Event
The Tango area, where the history of sake brewing runs deep, is dotted with breweries that make use of quality rice and clear water. For this event, signature brands from four breweries have been gathered, so guests can taste the climate and flavors of Tango through its local sake. Guests who find a favorite bottle can also buy it at the hotel shop.
- Period: December 1, 2026 (Tuesday) to February 28, 2027 (Sunday)
- Hours: 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Location: Lounge on the 1st floor
"Josen Hakurei" and "Shuten Doji" (Hakurei Shuzo, Miyazu City)
"Josen Hakurei" (上撰ハクレイ) and "Shuten Doji" (酒呑童子), brewed by a long-established brewery in Miyazu, are signature brands named after the demon legend of Mount Oe. Made with ultra-soft water from Mount Yuragadake and carefully selected rice, they have a mellow taste that brings out the rice's natural flavor and a clean finish. The brewery was founded in 1832, and guests can enjoy a flavor passed down through tradition.
"Kyo no Haru" (Mukai Shuzo, Ine Town)
Mukai Shuzo (向井酒造) is known as "the brewery closest to the sea" (according to the brewery's official website) and commits to brewing all of its sake as junmai (pure rice sake). Its sake made with locally grown rice balances the umami of the rice with a moderate acidity, and it pairs well with the fresh seafood dishes of Ine.
"白木久 Junmai Muroka Genshu Tango no Hikari" (Shirasugi Shuzo, Kyotango City)
Founded in 1777, Shirasugi Shuzo (白杉酒造) takes an innovative approach to sake making despite its long history, such as using table rice, black koji, and yeast blends. The sake is born from careful calculation and is entirely new, yet it does not rely on gimmicks and is loved by people around the world. Everything from the theme and naming of each brand to the label design is done by the 11th-generation Shirasugi.
"Tokubetsu Honjozo Yosamusume" (Yosamusume Shuzo, Yosano Town)
Brewed with "Kyo no Kagayaki," a rice grown in Kyoto Prefecture, this special honjozo (特別本醸造 ヨサムスメ) from Yosamusume Shuzo (与謝娘酒造) has a rich, mature umami. A gentle aroma and deep umami come together in harmony, giving it a taste that does not tire the drinker. It can be enjoyed from chilled to warmed, so it also suits everyday evening drinks.
Tango Sake Brewery Tour (丹後酒蔵めぐり) (hotel official page)
About Mercure Kyoto Miyazu Resort & Spa
The resort hotel sits inside Tango-Amanohashidate-Oeyama Quasi-National Park and overlooks Amanohashidate, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views. Guests can feel the charm of Kyoto's coast through the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring and swimming in the sea in summer to snowy scenery like an ink-wash painting in winter.
The hotel is certified as a "Welcome Baby Inn" by the Miki House Child-Rearing Research Institute. In summer, guests can use the pool, and from winter to spring, they can pick strawberries at "Royal Strawberry Park," a strawberry farm on the hotel grounds, where the large, sweet "Akihime" variety is grown. This makes the hotel a good fit for three-generation family trips.
The all-inclusive rate covers the breakfast and dinner buffets, which include dishes made with local ingredients, as well as alcohol during dinner and at the lounge, so guests can stay without worrying about extra charges.
Snow-covered Amanohashidate
A moment of relaxation in the open-air hot spring bath
A free space stocked with about 1,500 comic books, books about the region, and picture books
- Address: 58 Iwamoto, Tai, Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Phone: 03-6627-4666 (Reservation Center)
- Access: About 12 minutes by car from Miyazu Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway; about 15 minutes by car from Miyazu-Amanohashidate IC on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway
- Rate: All-inclusive, from 20,000 yen per night (per person, based on two guests sharing one room, tax and service charge included)
- Official website: https://mercure-kyotomiyazu-resortandspa.jp/
- Notes: Some drinks and activities cost extra. Lunch is not served.
Information as of October 26, 2026. Menu contents and ingredient origins may change depending on the season and supply conditions. All photos are for illustration purposes only.
