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KAI Yufuin
Yufu, Oita, Japan · KAI by Hoshino Resorts · Core Luxury



Kengo Kuma designed KAI Yufuin around cascading rice terraces, scattering 45 rooms and independent villas across sculpted paddies in the farming landscape of Yufuin, and it opened in August 2022 as Hoshino's twentieth KAI. Cedar and Shichitoi grass came from the Oita landscape, indoor and outdoor onsen look at Mount Yufu, and the Rice Terrace Deck is for watching the fields change season by season.
- 45 rooms
- Opened 2022
- Neighborhood: Kawakami
- Architect: Kengo Kuma
About KAI Yufuin
- KAI Yufuin opened in August 2022 as Hoshino's 20th KAI, with 45 rooms and independent villas.
- Kengo Kuma scattered the rooms across sculpted rice terraces in Yufuin's farming landscape, using cedar and Shichitoi grass from Oita.
- Indoor and outdoor onsen look at Mount Yufu, and the Rice Terrace Deck is for watching the fields change with the seasons.
History
Opened in August 2022 as the 20th property in Hoshino Resorts' KAI brand, the ryokan was designed by Kengo Kuma to honor Yufuin's heritage as a traditional farming village. The complex features 45 guest rooms and independent villas scattered across sculpted rice terraces, utilizing local materials such as cedar and Shichitoi grass to blend seamlessly with the Oita landscape.
Restaurants and bars
- KAI Yufuin dining area (kaiseki dinner) — Restaurant · Multi-course kaiseki using local and seasonal ingredients
- KAI Yufuin restaurant — Restaurant · Kaiseki (dinners feature game meat and deeply flavorful vege
Experiences
- KAISEKI dinner — Dinners feature game meat and deeply flavorful vegetables infused with the richness of the land of this geothermal region, home to many hot springs.
- Outdoor onsen baths — Guests enjoy views of open skies and Mt. Yufu as they relax in outdoor baths fed by the soft waters of the Yufuin Hot Springs.
- KAI Cultural Discovery: Rice Straw Twining amulet making — Guests make an amulet by twisting rice straw, a traditional off-season farming handwork, with the rice terraces as backdrop.
- KAI Local flavors kaiseki course — Multi-course kaiseki dinner reflecting the local area and season, served in a semi-private dining room, using mountain ingredients such as wild boar, shiitake and kabosu citrus.
- Public hot springs — Two indoor baths (Atsuyu and Nuruyu) and an outdoor bath with a lie-down area, with views of Mt. Yufu; soft spring water rich in metasilicic acid.
- Veranda rice field views — Guests can relax on a spacious wraparound veranda while viewing the rice fields, the pastoral scenery of which changes with the harvest cycle.
Amenities
- Indoor and outdoor onsen (hot spring) baths with Mount Yufu views
- Rice Terrace Deck for seasonal landscape viewing
- Traditional dining room serving Oita-inspired cuisine
- Travel Library and Yuagari Lounge (after-bath lounge)
- Asagiri Terrace for morning fog vistas
- Guest rooms featuring local Shichitoi grass lighting and bamboo craftsmanship
- Pet-friendly
- EV charging
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More hotels in Yufu
- ENOWA Yufuin — ENOWA · Core Luxury
- Gekkoju Yufuin — Independent · Core Luxury
- Yufuin Bettei Itsuki — Independent · Core Luxury
- Yufuin Souan Kosumosu — Independent · Core Luxury
- Nihon-no-Ashitaba — Independent · High Luxury
- Asagirinomieru Yado Yufuin Hanayoshi — Independent · Accessible Luxury
KAI by Hoshino Resorts in The Maison: the brand's idea, history and every house on the atlas.