KAI Zao

Hoshino Resorts’ first KAI in Yamagata Prefecture, opening 15 October 2026 at 903-2 Zao Onsen in a 14-sided tower designed by Shuhei Kamiya + Kamiya Architects, with landscape by Oryza and execution design by Ken Asai Architects. All 49 keys are Crimson Modern Rooms themed to Yamagata’s safflower trade: safflower-dyed washi lanterns, Yamagata Dantsu textiles, Tendo Mokko furniture, panoramic mountain windows, and private outdoor baths. There is no category ladder to decode; every room is the local Signature Room. Bathing centers on Zao’s high-acidity sulfur water across three concentrations in the public bath, then a circular wellness loop of sauna, cold bath, and lounge, finishing at an Okama-inspired rooftop jacuzzi with 360-degree views toward the Zao and Asahi ranges. Dinner is Benibana Sansai Kaiseki, with vermilion houraku-mori and Gassan nabe of duck, wild plants, and five mushrooms; seatings are listed at 17:30 or 19:30, breakfast 7:00 to 9:00. Opening press put meal-inclusive stays from about JPY 31,000 per person based on two adults, tax and service included. Check-in 14:30, checkout 11:00. Free parking without reservation. Book through hoshinoresorts.com; reservations +81-50-3134-8096 (9:30 to 18:00). Reach the town in about 45 minutes by bus or taxi from JR Yamagata Station after the Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo, or about 45 minutes from Yamagata Airport. Confirm rates, meal plans, and ski-season access before winter weekends when Ikon Pass days and snow-monster viewing tighten rooms first.