KAI Hakone ryokan renovation revives Edo-period travel experience

Hoshino Resorts Group has transformed KAI Hakone, a ryokan situated in Hakone Yumoto Onsen, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, reflecting the essence of travel during the Edo Period. Originally constructed in 1987 and renovated in 2012 by Sakakura Associates Architects and Engineers, the recent updates were carried out by Yuki Ito Architectural Design and Hirofumi Inoue from Nomura Co., Ltd. New features include an outdoor tea house, a marquetry workshop, and two Hakone Gokochi Suites, each 110 sq m, equipped with private open-air onsens. The ryokan comprises 34 rooms, 32 of which showcase Edo-period travel art. Public onsens, maintained at 40-41°C, are sourced from geothermal springs. A mural titled 'The Immersion Path' by Mitsuko Ogura is also part of the decor. Located at 230 Yumotochaya, Hakone-machi, it is just an eight-minute drive from Hakone-Yumoto station.