KAI Ito re-opens its hot spring ryokan in Izu, Shizuoka

Hoshino Resorts, the leading Japan-based hospitality brand with a contemporary take on the traditional Japanese ryokan inn, is delighted to announce the re-opening of KAI Ito.

Based in Izu, Shizuoka, just 100 minutes by train travelling to the south of Tokyo, KAI Ito is a stylish hot spring ryokan with a newly refurbished hot spring bath (for guests only) fed by Ito’s famous hot springs – known for their hugely beneficial therapeutic properties.

There are 30 guest rooms, each with a bedroom and living room, designed in an authentic Japanese style using traditional fabrics dyed using extract from local plants. Named ‘Ito Floral Calendar Rooms’, all guest rooms feature in-room baths made from ancient cypress trees and separate showers – both also fed by the local hot springs. Some rooms have their own private outdoor baths and other family-friendly suites feature huge floor cushions and traditional Japanese decorations (known as Tsurushi Kazari) and sleep up to eight guests.

The cuisine at KAI Ito is traditionally Japanese and based around two local specialties: meaty fish and tea leaves, with Alfonsino (red bream) steamed in Guricha green tea being one of KAI Ito’s original dishes. Dinner consists of a kaiseki (multi-course meal) that includes a range of colourful dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. At breakfast, guests are served a traditional Izu fisherman’s breakfast of horse mackerel sashimi, seasoned with onion and miso paste.  No Western dishes are served at breakfast or dinner.

Other facilities at the ryokan include an outdoor pool, Japanese flower garden, a relaxing foot bath and Yuagari Lounge where guests can enjoy complimentary local tea and other drinks.

Each KAI property offers a selection of free activities that are designed to introduce guests to Japan’s local culture. At KAI Ito, activities revolve around the camellia plant which grows locally, and include making oil from camellia seeds. Camellia oil is a popular product that keeps hair and skin hydrated and is perfect to use after a soak in KAI Ito’s baths.

Lead-in price: Stay overnight at KAI Ito from £362 per room/£181 per person per night on a half-board basis (two sharing; two meals pp). KAI amenities provided for guests for the duration of their stay include a casual kimono (yukata) and a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth (furoshiki) to make a bag to carry belongings.

To book: call +81 570-073-011 or visit https://www.hoshinoresorts.com/en/resortsandhotels/kai/ito.html
Address: 2-2-1 Okahirocho, Itō, Shizuoka Prefecture 414-0016, Japan

The origins of the Hoshino hospitality brand started with the opening of the first hot spring resort in 1914. The company was rebranded as Hoshino Resorts by current CEO Yoshiharu Hoshino in 1995, and now includes four hospitality brands under its parent company:

• HOSHINOYA (Hoshino Resorts’ flagship luxury brand)
• KAI (authentic hot spring ryokan/inns)
• RISONARE (family friendly)
• OMO (urban-based mid-range hotels), together with other unique lodgings.

Hoshino Resorts operates 38 properties (35 in Japan, plus one each in Bali, Tahiti and, from June 2019, Taiwan).

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