Hotel
Zao, Tohoku
KAI Zao
A 14-sided tower in Zao Onsen with a rooftop whirlpool bath shaped like the Okama crater lake and dinners built around Buddhist-inspired kaiseki.
Price on request
Hotel · Tsugaru, Japan
KAI Tsugaru
A hot spring ryokan in Owani Onsen, about thirty minutes by car from Hirosaki, built around Oma tuna kaiseki and nightly Tsugaru shamisen performances.
Overview
Owani Onsen sits about thirty minutes by car from Hirosaki, the historic Aomori city known for its castle and cherry blossoms. KAI Tsugaru is a forty-room ryokan here, arranged around a water garden where koginsashi textiles and Hirosaki Neputa lanterns are said to float on the surface of the open-air bath. The bath's arched roof recalls a kamakura snow hut, a detail that stands out in winter.
Dinner centres on Oma tuna, caught where three ocean currents meet in the Tsugaru Strait and known locally as black diamond for its rich, fatty flesh. The standard Seasonal Dinner kaiseki runs year round, while a Special Dinner built entirely around Oma tuna, served as sashimi, sushi and in a green onion and tuna hotpot, must be requested by 4pm five days in advance and is not offered between 29 December and 3 January. Breakfast includes a Tsugaru dish of scallop meat, bonito flakes and Welsh onion grilled in miso and egg on the shell, with a Western-style alternative available except from 1 to 3 January. The dining area offers both open seating and semi-private rooms, and vegetarian kaiseki and breakfast can be arranged in advance.
Each evening the ryokan hosts Tsugaru shamisen performances led by Kohei Shibuya, a national champion of the instrument. Rooms, called KAI Signature Rooms, take their design from Tsugaru koginzashi needlework. From the property, guests can reach Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge, the Shirakami Mountains World Heritage Site, Hirosaki Castle and the Hakkoda Mountains.
- Rooms
- 40
- Minimum stay
- 1 night
- Check in
- 15:00
- Check out
- 12:00
Why we like it
- Open-air onsen bath with an arched roof over a water garden with floating koginsashi textiles and Neputa lanterns
- Nightly Tsugaru shamisen performances led by national champion Kohei Shibuya
- Kaiseki dinners built around Oma tuna, caught where three currents meet in the Tsugaru Strait
- Forty rooms designed around Tsugaru koginzashi needlework patterns
- About thirty minutes by car from Hirosaki Castle
Gallery
Rooms & suites
Categories shown for orientation. Your travel advisor will confirm which are available for your dates and recommend the one that suits the trip.
KAI Signature Rooms
Rooms showcase contemporary design inspired by Tsugaru koginzashi needlework, a traditional regional embroidery technique.
Up to 5 guests
Amenities
- Restaurant
- Café / Lounge
- Spa / Massage
- Playroom
- Pool
- Onsen
- Public bath
- Meeting room
- Private parking
- EV charging
- Free Wi-Fi
Reserving through us
Included when your travel advisor confirms this stay
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Property credit or equivalent where the house offers one
- Early check in and late check out on request
- Welcome amenity and your travel agent known to the general manager
Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.
Location
Tsugaru, Japan
The north of the main island: deep snow, autumn gorges and almost no other visitors.
Questions
- How far is KAI Tsugaru from Hirosaki?
- The ryokan is in Owani Onsen, about thirty minutes by car from Hirosaki, the historic Aomori city known for its castle and cherry blossom viewing.
- What makes the kaiseki dinner distinctive?
- Dinner centres on Oma tuna, a local delicacy called black diamond, caught where three ocean currents meet in the Tsugaru Strait. A Special Dinner serves it as sashimi, sushi and in a green onion and tuna hotpot, and must be reserved five days in advance.
- Are pets allowed at KAI Tsugaru?
- No, pets are not allowed at the property.
- Is a Western-style breakfast available?
- Yes, guests may choose a Western-style breakfast instead of the traditional Tsugaru set, except from 1 to 3 January when it is not offered.
- What is there to do near the ryokan?
- Nearby attractions include Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge, the Shirakami Mountains World Heritage Site, Hirosaki Castle and the Hakkoda Mountains, which can be reached by cable car.
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