Asama Onsen has long prospered as the back room of the now national treasure of Matsumoto Castle. Located in a quiet hot spring village, KAI Matsumoto is a hot spring ryokan where guests can enjoy wine and gastronomy. Its unique design blends the avant-garde artistic sense of modern architects with the beauty of traditional Japanese crafts. Asama Onsen once welcomed the lords of Matsumoto Castle, who came there to enjoy thermal waters. Guests can experience the same hot springs at KAI Matsumoto, which have no less than 13 baths of eight different sorts. Every evening, local musicians hold a concert in the lobby to celebrate Matsumoto, the city of music. More than 50 kinds of local wine are available at any time, and guests can enjoy a relaxing stay with music and wine.
KAI Local flavors: Japanese cuisine and wine marriage
KAI Matsumoto's cuisine is prepared with quality seasonal products of the land. A pairing with local wines from the Shinshu region allows for even richer flavors. We offer a selection of about 50 wines, mainly from 11 wineries in the Kikyogahara area near Matsumoto City. KAI Matsumoto's specialty "wine sukinabe," served in the Special Kaiseki course, is an original sukiyaki composed of a sweet and salty base topped with a moderate sour and astringent red wine. It is characterized by a rich and sharp taste and goes well with wine. This dish is a recommendation of our head chef, who is also a certified sommelier.
KAI Cultural Discovery
Our KAI brand proposes special programs with “KAI Cultural Discovery” to learn about and enjoy regional perks such as unique traditional crafts, arts, and local cuisine.
Evening Concert: Immerse yourself in music in Matsumoto
Matsumoto, famous for being the hometown of the renowned violin “Suzuki Method” and the summer music festival "Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival," has been nicknamed the “city of music.” KAI Matsumoto pays homage to the city’s music heritage by organizing jazz or classical evening concerts in the ryokan’s lobby. The lobby, with its 13 meters high ceiling, allows for excellent acoustics. Local Nagano wine is served during the concert for guests to enjoy a unique luxurious time with wine and music.
Time: Every day from 8:30 PM or 9:15 PM for 30 minutes
Price: Free
Notes: Instruments and performed music change every day.
Nagano Wine Tasting Session
Nagano Prefecture is the top 2 producer of wine in Japan. There is a wide variety of wineries, from mass producers to small local family businesses. KAI Matsumoto offers many wines from small-scale local wineries. Wines using the same variety of grapes can end up tasting completely different depending on the winery it came from. Our ryokan proposes a special tasting session to enjoy during the stay to taste and learn about local wines and how they are produced. The theme of this wine session is adapted to each season of the year, with facts on Nagano’s climate and wine history, to make guests feel as if they were on a real winery tour.
Time: Every day 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM for 30 minutes
Price: 1,500 JPY
Reservation: up to 3 days prior the date before 6:00 PM.
＊Reservation on the same day might be available according to the number of prior reservations.
Notes :
＊Only available for participants above the age of 20.
＊Price will be the same for participants regardless of whether they take part in the tasting session or not.
KAI Signature Rooms
Our Japanese-style guest rooms combine both high quality and originality. The "tokonoma" alcove, built-in table, and step in are all designed in a pure Japanese architectural style with a modern touch. Traditional crafts such as "Edo Sumi-nagashi" (paper marbling) painted on sliding paper doors or "Kumiko shoji" (paper sliding door) can be seen all over the ryokan. 15 of the guest room's 26 rooms come with a private outdoor hot spring. Together with a public bath, guests can enjoy a hot spring extravagant holiday.
A suite room born from the fusion of crafts and music, limited to one group per day
Matsumoto is also known as a city of arts. One of the KAI Signature Room, named the Audio Craft Room, allows guests to enjoy a special atmosphere. It was created in collaboration with Naoki Yoshida of Andante. Guests entering the room are welcomed by handmade craft speakers, wooden objects and furniture inspired by musical instruments. This guest room to experience Matsumoto with all five senses is limited to one group per day.
Special Features
Public Hot Springs: Enjoy 13 baths with 8 different types
Asama Hot Spring has a long history and is said to have been frequented by lords of the Matsumoto Castle. The alkaline simple spring water is smooth to the skin and warmly envelops the body. Two public baths in KAI Matsumoto can be used alternately by men and women with a time rotation, allowing guests to enjoy a total of 8 different types of baths in 13 tubs or spaces. In addition to the indoor bath and outdoor hot spring bath, our ryokan has a radiant bath (a chaise longue warmed up by hot spring water with a slightly higher than body temperature), a cypress sawdust bath with a pleasant wood smell, and a sleeping bath where you can lie in a shallow bathtub and let your body gently float in the water.
Overview of KAI Matsumoto
Address: 1-31-1 Asama Onsen, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-0303
Number of Rooms: 26
Starting Room Rate: Starting from 31,000 JPY per night (per person for a 2 person room, includes tax, service charge, breakfast, and dinner)
Directions: 15 minutes by car from JR Matsumoto Station
About KAI Brand
"Japanese Auberge" in classic hot spring regions
KAI is a leading brand of hot spring ryokan where every establishment offers a contemporary take on traditional Japanese inn whilst keeping Western comforts. KAI invites one to discover the multifaceted aspects of Japan through natural hot springs, exploration of local arts and entertainment, and classic Kaiseki-style course meals using local and seasonal flavors. Experience Washoku, Japanese cuisine, presented on carefully selected ceramics for full exposure to culinary sensations.
About Hoshino Resorts
Hoshino Resorts was first established as a Japanese inn/ryokan in 1914 in Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture before it began the operation of other resorts in Japan. Today, it has evolved into a highly influential hotel management company and is run by 4th-generation family member Yoshiharu Hoshino. Providing a unique experience focused on the local charms of each destination and a high level of omotenashi, Japanese-style hospitality, the company has expanded rapidly out of Karuizawa since 2001 and now operates more than 60 accommodations both in and outside Japan with one of the following categories: luxury hotel brand “HOSHINOYA,” hot spring ryokan brand “KAI,” countryside resort hotel brand “RISONARE,” city tourism hotel brand “OMO,” free-spirited hotel brand “BEB,” or other unique lodgings.
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