HOSHINOYA KARUIZAWA WELCOMES AUTUMN WITH FIVE IMMERSIVE SEASONAL EXPERIENCES

At HOSHINOYA Karuizawa, autumn is not treated simply as a backdrop. From September through November, the season becomes part of the rhythm of a stay, shaping what guests see from their terraces, taste at the Tanada Lounge, and hear as the forest settles into cooler evenings. For 2026, the Nagano retreat has introduced five limited-time experiences that invite guests to engage with that transition through drawing, food, movement, stillness and the atmosphere of the night.

Running from 1 September to 30 November 2026, the programme follows the changing character of Karuizawa across the season. Maple and oak foliage gradually deepen in colour, while the larches of the neighbouring Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest take on their characteristic golden hue. By November, fallen leaves cover the ground as the forest approaches winter. HOSHINOYA Karuizawa’s autumn programme has been designed around those subtle changes, encouraging guests to experience the landscape rather than simply observe it.

The first experience, Autumn Foliage Sketching, offers a particularly unhurried way of doing so. From 10 am to 5 pm throughout the season, guests can take a sketchbook and coloured pencils in traditional Japanese-inspired hues and wander through the resort’s woodland setting and along the water’s edge. The exercise is less concerned with producing a finished artwork than with paying close attention to the landscape: the gradual shift in leaf colour, the texture of the forest and the changing light. The activity is complementary and does not require reservation, making it an easy addition to a day spent exploring the property.

Food provides another way into the season. At the Tanada Lounge, the resort’s distinctive terraced landscape becomes the setting for Shinshu Fermented Steamed Cuisine, a lunch centred on regional fermentation traditions and ingredients associated with autumn. Matsutake mushrooms, wild game, chestnuts and persimmons feature among the seasonal produce, although the exact menu remains subject to availability. Served from 1 pm, the experience is priced at JPY 15,000 per person, with reservations required at least five days in advance. The official dining information confirms that the experience runs from 1 September through 30 November, with lunch moving indoors to Japanese Cuisine KASUKE in the event of rain.

The setting is integral to the meal. The Tanada Lounge looks across the resort’s terraced landscape, allowing the colours of the surrounding trees and fields to become part of the experience. There is an understated connection here between Shinshu’s culinary traditions and the wider seasonal environment: the same autumn that changes the appearance of the forest also brings a distinctive harvest to the table.

As daylight fades, the emphasis shifts from colour to shadow and light. The Forest-Side Cafe & Bar runs each evening from 8 pm to 11 pm, occupying a secluded setting among the trees beside a pond. A wood-burning stove provides warmth as the evenings become cooler, while fire baskets and the autumn night sky add a gentle glow to the surroundings. Guests can order cocktails inspired by celestial views alongside a selection of alcoholic beverages, allowing the experience to unfold at a slower pace than the activities of the day. Reservations are accepted until 8 p.m. on the same day through the official website.

The progression of the season becomes particularly visible from the privacy of the guest pavilions. Between 25 October and 10 November, HOSHINOYA Karuizawa offers an in-room breakfast designed around the peak autumn landscape. Served on the terrace of the Yamaroji rooms between 7:15 am and10:30 amm, breakfast comes with views towards the resort’s red foliage and the golden larches of the adjacent forest. Seasonal ingredients accompany the morning meal, while the timing deliberately coincides with one of the most visually distinctive periods of the season. As foliage conditions depend on the weather, the exact peak varies from year to year.

The final experience begins before breakfast. Morning Stretch Sessions are held throughout the autumn programme, using gentle movement and abdominal breathing to bring attention to the body and the surrounding environment. Beginning at either 8 am or 8:45 am, the complimentary sessions encourage guests to move slowly and breathe in the crisp highland air while surrounded by autumn foliage. Reservations are accepted until 7 pm on the preceding day.

Together, the five experiences reflect a broader approach to the resort itself. HOSHINOYA Karuizawa is arranged as a village of detached pavilions around a flowing body of water, with private terraces that open towards the surrounding woodland. Located at the foot of the Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary, the property was designed to maintain a close relationship with the local ecosystem. Its environmental approach incorporates natural airflow and geothermal energy, while its setting allows the changing seasons to remain a visible part of everyday life.

That relationship with place has deep roots. Hoshino Resorts traces its origins to Karuizawa, where the Hoshino Onsen Ryokan opened in 1914. The company began expanding beyond that area in 2001 and became Hoshino Resorts in 1995, while the HOSHINOYA luxury brand launched in 2005 with the opening of HOSHINOYA Karuizawa. Today, Hoshino Resorts operates more than 70 accommodation properties in and outside Japan, across brands including HOSHINOYA, KAI, RISONARE, OMO, BEB and LUCY. Its philosophy continues to place the character of each destination at the centre of the guest experience.

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa itself opened on 20 July 2005 and now comprises 77 rooms. The resort is approximately 15 minutes by car from JR Karuizawa Station, with a complimentary shuttle available, and sits at 2148 Nagakura, Karuizawa-machi, Nagano 389-0194.

The autumn programme also sits alongside another seasonal offering at the property: the Karuizawa Mushroom Wellness programme, running from 1 October to 30 November. Built around Nagano’s autumn mushroom harvest, it combines mushroom-focused cuisine, a guided forest ecology tour, a spa treatment and a deep-breathing bathing ritual. Its inclusion within the wider autumn calendar reinforces how closely HOSHINOYA Karuizawa connects seasonal produce, forest ecology and restorative practices.

What distinguishes the autumn programme is ultimately its restraint. None of the experiences requires the season to be embellished. A coloured pencil, a plate of locally inspired food, a terrace breakfast or the warmth of a fire after sunset is enough to make the landscape feel newly present. At HOSHINOYA Karuizawa, autumn becomes less a spectacle to be consumed than a period to be noticed — in the colour of a leaf, the flavour of a mushroom, the cooler morning air and the gradual quiet of the forest.