[Kai Okuhida] Born on September 5, 2024 in Okuhida Onsen Village, Gifu Prefecture | Awakening to mountain hot springs, a relaxing inn with Hida design
*Hoshino Resort*
Press release: September 3, 2024
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[Kai Okuhida] Born on September 5, 2024 in Okuhida Onsen Village, Gifu Prefecture | Awakening to mountain hot springs, a relaxing inn with Hida design
*~Hoshino Resorts’ first entry into Gifu Prefecture, offering hospitality with the famous mountain hot springs, the gentleness of the trees, and the flavor of the mountains~*
“Kai” is the 24th facility of the “Kai” hot spring inn brand developed by Hoshino Resorts nationwide.
Okuhida” will open on September 5, 2024 in Okuhida Onsenkyo, Gifu Prefecture. This will be the first Hoshino Resorts facility to open in Gifu Prefecture. world
The concept of Okuhida is “Awake up to mountain hot springs and relax in Hida design.” We offer a relaxing stay where you can feel the fresh mountain air and breeze at the hot springs, and experience the culture of the Hida region’s tradition and technology. In addition to the hot springs in the large public bath and the open-air baths in the guest rooms, you can also go to the hot spring river flowing in the courtyard and the footbath attached to the annex, making this an inn where you can enjoy the charm of the hot spring village to your heart’s content.
*About the development background of “Kai Okuhida”*
Okuhida Onsenkyo in Gifu Prefecture is surrounded by the magnificent peaks of the Northern Alps, and the amount of hot spring water that comes from these mountains is 37,000 liters per minute, one of the best in Japan (*1). It is also an area blessed with forest resources and a tradition where advanced woodworking techniques have been passed down since ancient times. Against the backdrop of such natural scenery and history,
Okuhida is a hot spring inn that incorporates the essence of traditional crafts and techniques that bring new discoveries in a modern way, in addition to the way you enjoy hot springs in a mountainous area.
The courtyard in the center of the inn is a space reminiscent of the “landscape of masonry” that formed the landscape of this area. When you take a walk along the Yunokawa River and look at the scenery, the mountains in the distance and the trees nearby are all sparkling fresh. We developed this hotel with the aim of being an inn where you can reflect on nature and the precious activities of people, which have developed because of the mountains, hot springs, and forests of Hida.
*1 Japan Hot Spring Association “Hot Spring Statistics”
Yunokawa in the courtyard
*Features of “Kai Okuhida”*
* 1 Courtyard: Walking space that is the center of your stay * world
Okuhida has a courtyard surrounded by four buildings: guest rooms on the east and west, a bathhouse building, and an outbuilding. In the past, in the hot spring town of this area, there was a scene where people walked to the public baths and took a bath, so in addition to the large hot spring bath inside the hotel and the open-air bath in the guest room, there are many times during your stay where you can visit the outside world. We want people to walk around the building, so we are arranging the buildings around the courtyard. Stone piles are piled up step by step along the slope typical of a mountainous area, and Mount Akandana, which is still known as an active volcano, rises ahead of you.
Panoramic view of Hirayu Onsen during the Taisho period (owned by Mr. Masao Murayama)
Enjoy the mountain scenery while soaking in the footbath
A steaming river flows gently through the open courtyard, and the walking path along the river is lined with broad-leaved trees and local native species. The stepping stones placed in the Yunokawa River, as well as the stones for the courtyard and the foundation of the wooden fence, were originally found at the construction site, blending in with the landscape. There is a footbath in the back where you can warm your feet while looking up at the mountain range, where you can see budding flowers in the spring, greenery and blue skies in the summer, autumn leaves in the fall, and snowy scenery in the winter. .
* 2 Hot spring in the large public bath: Open-air bath designed with a snow corridor motif*
The design of the open-air bath in the large public bath is based on the snowy corridors often seen in the heavy snowfall area of Okuhida. It’s shaped like a gaping hole above your head, and all you can see is the white snow-like walls and the sky. You can enjoy the cut-out sky and the sound of gushing hot water while being surrounded by smooth walls with rounded edges that resemble snow. At night, you can also look up at the stars twinkling in the clear sky.
There are two indoor baths: the hot spring bath, which is fed directly from the source, and the lukewarm bathtub, which allows you to relax both physically and mentally. The spring quality is neutral, containing a lot of metasilicic acid and metaboric acid, and is gentle on the skin. There are more than 100 hot springs throughout Okuhida Onsenkyo, and you can enjoy a variety of spring qualities such as simple springs, sulfur springs, hydrogen carbonate springs, and chloride springs. world
The hot springs of Okuhida are also perfect as “healing baths” that can be expected to have even more soothing effects after visiting these characteristic outdoor baths.
Large open-air bath at night
Spring quality: Sodium/calcium-hydrogen carbonate/chloride spring (neutral low-tone high temperature spring)
Efficacy: Chronic pain in muscles and joints, cuts, sensitivity to cold, dry skin, depression, recovery from fatigue, health promotion, etc.
*3. Guest room: “Hida MOKU Room”, a modern local room*
At KAI, we have a local room where you can experience the local culture. world All of Okuhida’s 49 rooms are locally sourced rooms, with the “Hida MOKU Room” where you can feel the gentleness of natural wood and the charm of Hida. While the exterior of the inn building has a calm tone, the interior of the guest room is impressively decorated with the gorgeous “red” hue that is unique to this region and is seen during the Takayama Festival. Hida Shunkei, a traditional local lacquer, is incorporated into wall art and guest room signs, and original Hida-dyed cushions add color.
We make it possible for you to feel closer to Hida’s gorgeous crafts. In addition, the headboard, which has a bentwood motif, is decorated with a gradation of beech, ash, cherry, and oak trees, which are representative of the broad-leaved trees of the Hida region, and wraps around the bed. In addition, bentwood chairs made from hardwood from Hida city by local furniture manufacturer Hida Sangyo are installed in all rooms, and 800-year-old Sanchu washi paper lanterns gently decorate the rooms. Illuminate. The 28 rooms, more than half of the total, are equipped with sofas that allow you to get up while still wet, as well as open-air baths, allowing you to enjoy a luxurious bath.
Local room “Hida MOKU”
Wall art, cushions, and lanterns made from regional masterpieces * 4 Local entertainment: “Hida craftsmanship experience” where you can experience Hida’s craft techniques *
As part of KAI brand hospitality, we offer “Local Raku” where you can experience local culture. world
In Okuhida, you can experience over 1,300 years of Hida craftsmanship history through a program titled “Hida Craftsmanship Experience.” In the experience, you will actually bend wood and make a bent wood handle that can be used to tie KAI’s original furoshiki. The space where local entertainment is held has a wall with a design reminiscent of the Hida forest, and used tools such as chisels and planes are on display. Among them, you can feel the presence of Hida craftsmen close to you.
Gifu Prefecture, where Okuhida Onsenkyo is located, is a region rich in forest resources, with forests accounting for 81% of the
prefecture, and the environment surrounded by forests supports the development of traditional techniques and crafts. Through this experience, you can deepen your understanding of local life and timber.
*2 Gifu Prefecture Forest and Forestry Statistics
Space for local music
Bentwood experience
KAI original furoshiki and bent wood handle
* 5 Cuisine: Kaiseki cuisine with a local feel*
Dinner is served in a semi-private dining room, where you can enjoy Kaiseki cuisine that takes advantage of local food culture.
Particularly recommended is the main menu of Hida beef grilled with Hoba. Hida beef is wrapped in magnolia leaves and served with tsuto (*3). You can heat the surface of the meat before grilling it to your desired degree of doneness. In addition, the food is plated using old wood with a design reminiscent of the edge of an irori hearth, allowing you to enjoy your meal while feeling the atmosphere. *3 A product made of reeds, bamboo skin, straw, etc., tied together or woven together so that food can be wrapped and carried.
Grilled Hida beef with magnolia leaves
Food presentation using old wood reminiscent of the edge of an irori hearth *Facility overview*
Facility name: Kai Okuhida
Address: 138 Okuhida Onsengo Hirayu, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, 506-1433 Phone: 050-3134-8092 (Kai Reservation Center)
Number of rooms: 49 rooms (28 rooms with open-air bath)
Additional facilities: Lobby, restaurant, travel library, shop, after-bath area, Large bath (separate for men and women, 1 each open-air bath, 2 each indoor bath), footbath, courtyard
Price: From 31,000 yen per night (per person when 2 people occupy one room, tax and service charge included, dinner and breakfast included) Access: Approximately 4 minutes on foot from Hirayu Bus Terminal, approximately 3 minutes by car from Hirayu IC on the Chubu Jukan Expressway
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaiokuhida/
Opening date: September 5, 2024
*Plan outline*
Construction area: 1,680 square meters (total value of 4 buildings consisting of 2 accommodation buildings, a bathhouse, and an outbuilding)
Total floor area: 5,588 square meters (same as above)
Site area: 6,472 square meters (total value of all planned areas) Design design supervision: Sakakura Architectural Institute
Landscape design supervision: Kanade Design Office
Structural/equipment design, implementation design, construction: Maeda Construction Industry
Construction start date: March 24, 2023
* What is “Kai”? *
“Kai” is a hot spring inn brand operated by Hoshino Resorts with 24 facilities nationwide. With the theme of “Royal, yet new,” we pursue hospitality that meets modern needs while taking advantage of the changing seasons, Japanese flavor, and tradition. It also features “Gochi-raku” where you can experience the traditional culture and crafts of the area, and “Gochi-style rooms” where you can experience the local culture. The 23rd facility will open in April 2024. Akiu opened in Akiu Onsen, Miyagi Prefecture, and KAI Okuhida, the 24th facility, opened in Okuhida Onsen, Gifu Prefecture.
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/brands/kai/