7 New Hoshino Resorts to Plan Your Next Japan Trips in 2026

From city landmarks to onsen towns and heritage icons, these upcoming openings reflect a deeper, more place-driven way to explore Japan

As travelers look beyond Japan’s familiar golden route, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for slow, culturally immersive travel. With a strong focus on regional revitalization, heritage reuse, and local craft, these new openings by Hoshino Resorts invite visitors to experience Japan through its neighborhoods, landscapes, and stories rather than just its highlights. Here’s where to put on your radar.

OMO7 Yokohama

(Opening 21 April 2026)

A former 1959 city hall by architect Togo Murano is reborn as a retro-modern city hotel at the heart of Yokohama’s BASEGATE Kannai redevelopment. Original civic details—tile murals, staircases, and generous volumes—anchor the design, while the location bridges two contrasting districts: gritty, Showa-era Noge and the polished waterfront of Minato Mirai. Expect neighborhood-driven stays, Yokohama comfort classics at breakfast, and easy access to the city’s cultural layers.

OMO5 Yokohama Bashamichi

(Opened 15 January  2026)

Designed for longer stays, this high-rise aparthotel sits directly above Bashamichi Station, offering sweeping bay views and roo

ms equipped with kitchenettes and washer-dryers. Port-inspired interiors nod to Yokohama’s treaty-port past, while the surrounding boulevard still carries traces of early Western influence—brick buildings, gas lamps, and jazz cafés included.

HOSHINOYA Nara Prison

(Museum opening 27 April 2026; hotel opening to be announced)

One of Japan’s most striking adaptive-reuse projects transforms a 1908 Meiji-era prison into a luxury museum hotel. Original brick vaults, steel doors, and radial corridors remain, softened into serene guest spaces formed from merged cells. Part hotel, part public museum, the experience centers on architecture, history, and kaiseki dining rooted in Nara produce.

KAI Kusatsu

(Opening spring 2026)

Set in one of Japan’s most famous onsen towns, this forest ryokan offers direct underground access to Yubatake, Kusatsu’s steaming hot-spring heart. Tatami-clad rooms, Gunma craft details, and kaiseki featuring mountain vegetables and Joshu beef frame a stay built around ritual—yumomi performances, onsen-hopping, and quiet evening strolls through town.

KAI Zao

(Opening autumn 2026)

Perched on a volcanic plateau, KAI Zao centers on its rooftop onsen terrace inspired by the nearby Okama Crater. Naturally acidic hot springs, crater-view baths, and seasonal dining featuring sansai and Yamagata beef make this a year-round retreat—equally compelling for winter ski trips and summer highland escapes.

KAI Matsumoto

(Reopening summer 2026)

Reopened after a thoughtful renovation, this ryokan deepens its connection to Shinshu craft and Matsumoto’s musical heritage. Woodblock-textile walls, lacquer details, and Nagano timber frame refreshed onsen spaces, while dining highlights local produce paired with sake and regional wines—an elegant reflection of the area’s cultural identity.

KAI Miyajima

(Opening summer 2026)

Facing the Seto Inland Sea and directly opposite the iconic floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine, this seafront ryokan emphasizes craft, tides, and unhurried coastal living. From a horizon-aligned rooftop bath to a medieval-inspired stone sauna, the experience is grounded in place, with kaiseki menus built around Setouchi seafood and island produce.

[PHOTO: Courtesy of Hoshino Resorts, unless noted otherwise]