Become Immersed in Slow, Mountain-Stream Life at Hoshino Resort Oirase Keiryu Hotel

Some sceneries can be enjoyed only during winter, and only in certain parts of the land. The snow that accumulates in the Oirase mountain stream, for example, shows exquisite colours of white, blue, and silver. The small and delicate footprints of martens and hares on the snow, the breathtaking beauty of frozen waterfalls, and the frost-covered trees are just a few of the charms of this place.

That is why Hoshino Resort Oirase Keiryu Hotel should be visited during the hard winter season. The only hotel standing along the Oirase Stream in Towada Hachimantai National Park, the facility offers guided tours on shuttle buses even in winter—when the promenade is closed. In other words, visitors can enjoy Lake Towada and the silvery world of Mt. Hakkoda as if the whole area is their own garden.

The Oirase Stream is a place famous for clear streams and beautiful autumn leaves. It is full of visitors during spring and autumn, but not in winter. Hoshino Resorts, which took over the predecessor hotel and opened in 2005, saw the area’s winter icefalls and the silvery environment as potential resources for attracting tourists, and began renovating the facilities and enhancing various activities. The hotel’s winter sales began in earnest in 2017.

The first part of the hotel to experience is Hyoho no Yu. The open-air public bath has an icefall that runs only in winter. Water is sprayed onto the surrounding walls from mid-December, and gradually begins to freeze. By mid-January, a huge ice waterfall measuring about 10 ft (3.5 m) high and 52 ft (16 m) wide appears. It creates a mysterious atmosphere in the morning and a fantastic one at night.

To enjoy a natural icefall in its entirety, we recommend taking a nighttime light-up tour. The bus runs along the Oirase mountain stream and shines a light when it encounters sights such as Makado Rock and Sanran streams. The spectacular view that suddenly appears in the dark can be seen only by the passengers of this tour.

There are many attractions in the facility, too. The symbol of the west hall lounge, which hosts various activities, is a large fireplace named ‘Kashin’ (river god), by Taro Okamoto, who often visited Oirase. The sculpture is 33 ft (10 m) high and weighs 7 tonnes. The lobby in the east hall also has a fireplace sculpture created by Taro Okamoto, called ‘Mori no Shinwa’ (Myth of the Forest), which is 28 ft (8.5 m) high and weighs 5 tonnes. The sculpture becomes a bar lounge in the evening, where visitors can relax around the fireplace with an original cocktail, Apple Salty Dog.

The concept of the hotel is a ‘Slow Mountain-Stream Life.’ The real pleasure of staying here is not just to be healed by nature, but to be actively immersed in it. In the snow-covered season, it becomes the perfect place to quietly reflect on oneself. Activate the five senses away from smartphones and other electronic devices and awake a sense of time, direction, and physical condition.