Enjoy Japanese Tea Culture at a Ryokan- Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima
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Kagoshima, a prefecture in Kyushu, is one of Japan’s three major tea-producing areas. We introduce an accommodation plan that includes a Japanese tea culture experience offered for a limited time at Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima, a hot spring inn overlooking Sakurajima, Kagoshima’s iconic volcano.
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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.
Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima: A Japanese Hot Spring Inn in Kagoshima Prefecture
KAI is a Japanese hot spring inn brand operated by Hoshino Resorts with 22 facilities nationwide. There are various accommodation plans and events that allow guests to experience local traditions and culture.
Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu region, opened in January 2021.
This article introduces a limited-time accommodation plan offered at Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima, which is surrounded by magnificent nature overlooking Sakurajima.
Discover the Charms of Japanese Tea with an Exclusive Accommodation Plan
Kagoshima is one of the leading tea-producing areas in Japan. The culture of tea drinking has permeated daily life, with tea production flourishing since ancient times.
Hoshino Resorts KAI Kirishima, situated in Kirishima City, is where a variety of Japanese tea called Kirishima Tea is cultivated. Visitors can experience the charm of this local brew when booking the accommodation plan Kirishima Shincha, or Kirishima Fresh Tea Stay, from April 20 to June 20, 2023.
This plan allows you to experience Japanese tea culture through various programs such as tasting tea cocktails with Kirishima tea and shochu distilled spirits, harvesting tea leaves at a plantation, and tasting various types of tea to compare their features.
Next, we will introduce four features that make this accommodation plan unique.
Feature 1: Cocktail Pairing Experience with 8 Types of Kirishima Tea and Distilled Spirits
You can enjoy various tea cocktails by combining eight types of Kirishima tea with shochu (distilled spirits) produced by four shochu breweries in Kirishima City.
For the pairing, master brewers selected "Gensen Kirishima Tea" crafted by a Kirishima-certified gastronomy brand called Gensen Kirishima. Similarly, four chief brewers chose the distilled spirits at each shochu brewery.
Enjoy a luxurious time sipping cocktail pairings while listening to explanations of each item in the guest room, where stunning views of Sakurajima and the Kirishima Plateau are visible from the window.
Feature 2: Enjoy Kirishima Tea in Various Scenarios
Kirishima tea can be enjoyed in various situations, such as iced tea bottles allowing you to rehydrate while soaking in a hot spring bath, hojicha (roasted green tea) before bedtime, and hand-drip Japanese black tea provided in the morning set menu.
1. Iced Tea Bottle for Rehydration at Hot Springs
We will prepare an iced tea bottle by brewing green tea inside a chilled bottle, allowing guests to frequently rehydrate while bathing in hot springs.
Drinking green tea while bathing is said to increase the absorption rate of catechins, leaving a positive effect on the body. Enjoy a relaxing bath with the gorgeous scent of tea.
2. Relax before Bedtime with the Scent of Roasted Tea
Pyrazine, a fragrance compound produced while roasting tea leaves, has a relaxing effect on the brain and is abundant in hojicha.
Before heading to bed, you can drink a relaxing brew of hojicha to warm your body while being soothed by the scent of kukicha (twig tea) in the incense burner. Kukicha is a tea utilizing the stems of tea leaves, and the fragrant aroma can be enjoyed when burned on a tea incense burner.
3. Wake Up Refreshed with Hand-Drip Japanese Black Tea Benifuuki
After waking up in the morning, try a cup of hand-drip Benifuuki, a Japanese black tea produced by Arimura Seicha: a tea cultivator in Kirishima City putting effort into creating Japanese black tea.
Arimura Seicha's Benifuuki black tea, carefully made from organic tea leaves, features a floral scent and refreshing astringency. The caffeine in Japanese black tea will wake up your brain, ensuring a refreshing morning.
Feature 3: Harvesting and Roasting Tea Leaves at a Tea Plantation
At the Henta Seicha tea plantation at the foot of the Kirishima mountain range, visitors will experience harvesting tea leaves while marveling at the natural scenery.
The leaves harvested at Henta Seicha are Kirishima tea, grown organically and without pesticides in tea fields at an altitude of 200 to 300 meters. Experience the environment where Kirishima tea is grown first-hand by picking new shoots of tea leaves.
Freshly picked new tea leaves are roasted in a kettle on the spot, with guests invited to take them home. Kamairicha is a variety of tea produced by roasting the leaves in an iron kettle over an open flame. It is characterized by the aroma of the original tea named Kamairi. Enjoy a whiff of fragrant tea that gradually permeates the space when roasted in a pot.
Feature 4: Compare Different Japanese Teas on a Terrace Overlooking the Tea Fields and Kirishima Mountain Range
After harvesting tea leaves, you can taste and compare fresh and aged tea on the terrace overlooking tea fields and the Kirishima mountain range.
Aged tea has been dried for over half a year after harvesting. It is characterized by a mellow flavor that comes from aging. Compared to freshly-picked new tea, characterized by its lush and fresh aroma, guests will realize how the same variety of tea leaves can have different flavors depending on the aging time.
Enjoy sipping Kirishima tea in the spring tea plantation paired with Japanese sweets crafted with Henta Seicha's organic matcha!
Itinerary Model
First Day
15:00 Check in. Take a break with a welcome drink of iced tea.
16:00 Head to the hot spring bath with a bottle of cold tea. Enjoy a slow, soothing bath while hydrating the body.
17:30 Enjoy cocktail pairings featuring eight types of Kirishima tea and distilled spirits in your room.
19:30 Savor a luxurious meal of Kagoshima Kurobuta pork shabu-shabu for dinner.
21:15 Watch a local dance performance.
22:00 Burn kukicha in a tea incense burner to relax before going to bed.
The Second Day
6:30 Brew Benifuuki tea using a hand drip technique upon waking up.
8:00 Take a warm bath to increase sympathetic nerve activity and feel refreshed in the morning.
9:00 Enjoy a breakfast featuring local Kagoshima cuisine.
12:00 Check out.
13:00 At Henta Seicha tea plantation, experience picking new Kirishima tea and making pot-roasted tea. Compare taste differences between new and aged tea. Sip Kirishima tea with Japanese sweets made with Kirishima matcha on a terrace overlooking the tea plantation.
Plan Overview
Period: April 20 to June 20, 2023
Price: From 63,000 yen (price per person when two people share a room; tax and service charge included)
Reservation: Make a reservation at least seven days before the date of stay on the official website.
Venue: Fresh tea leaf picking and pot-roasted tea-making experience held at Henta Seicha tea plantation
Includes: 8 cocktails pairing Kirishima tea and distilled spirits, 3 types of tea (tea set), harvesting tea leaves and making pot-roasted tea, fresh tea and aged tea tasting, comparing seicha, staying in a special room with dinner and breakfast included.
Target: One group per day *Up to two people per group.
Remarks: Tea harvesting may be canceled due to weather conditions.
Learn More about Hoshino Resorts
In addition to the hotel introduced in this article, Hoshino Resorts offers various events and lodging experiences.
For more details, please check the official website of 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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