Hotel
Kusatsu, Karuizawa & the Japan Alps
KAI Kusatsu
A hot spring ryokan opening in June 2026 at Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, linked by a private tunnel to the town's historic bathing district.
Price on request
Hotel · Yatsugatake, Japan
RISONARE Yatsugatake
An alpine wine resort on the Yamanashi-Nagano border, designed by Mario Bellini, with 172 rooms, an indoor wave pool and a 24-wine tasting house on site.
Overview
RISONARE Yatsugatake sits on a plateau at 960 metres in Hokuto, Yamanashi, on the border between the Yamanashi and Nagano wine regions. The resort was designed by the architect Mario Bellini, whose work extends to Piment Street, the main thoroughfare of cobblestone and shopfronts built to recall a European mountain town. It is reachable in around 120 minutes from Tokyo and 150 minutes from Nagoya, with a free shuttle bus running the five minutes from Kobuchisawa Station on the JR Central Main Line. Drivers can reach the hotel in five minutes from Kobuchisawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.
Wine runs through the property. Yatsugatake Wine House offers tastings from a dispenser system covering 24 selections from Yamanashi and Nagano, and guests may carry bottles bought there into any of the resort's restaurants and cafes under a bring-your-own policy. OTTO SETTE, the main restaurant, serves Italian cuisine built around the idea of vino e verdura, wine and vegetables, with a list of around 500 types and 2,000 bottles drawn largely from Yamanashi and Italy. The resort has worked with the winery Domaine Mie Ikeno, at the foot of the Yatsugatake mountains, since 2006. Piment Street carries further options, including a cheese-focused shop, a soba restaurant, a charcoal-grilled fish specialist, an Italian osteria, a coffee bar staffed by competition-trained baristas, and a bakery.
The hotel has 172 rooms, accommodating one to five guests, with check-in at 3pm and check-out at noon. The indoor pool "il mare" includes a wave pool and a children's area, and is available throughout a guest's stay. The hot bath Moku Moku Yu sits in forest, lit after dark. Spa treatments are performed entirely by hand, with some courses using organic French skincare for facials. Beyond the resort grounds, Forest Treetop Trekking runs a ropes course five to seven metres up, and Forest Horseback Riding is offered amid the Yatsugatake landscape. Parking for 500 cars is free, as is EV charging, and pets are permitted for guests travelling from within Japan.
- Rooms
- 172
- Minimum stay
- 1 night
- Check in
- 15:00
- Check out
- 12:00
Why we like it
- Designed by architect Mario Bellini, including the Piment Street main thoroughfare
- 172 rooms set on a plateau at 960 metres in Hokuto, Yamanashi
- Yatsugatake Wine House offers tastings of 24 wines from Yamanashi and Nagano
- OTTO SETTE's wine list runs to about 500 types and 2,000 bottles
- Indoor wave pool "il mare" available throughout the stay
- Partnership with the winery Domaine Mie Ikeno since 2006
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.
Wine Suite Maisonette
A duplex suite built around a Bordeaux colour theme, featuring a wine cellar stocked with a selection curated by the resort for an additional fee. The resort describes it as the only room where guests can drink a half-bottle of Domaine Mie Ikeno.
Up to 2 guests
Amenities
- Restaurant
- Café/Lounge
- Spa
- Playroom
- Indoor pool
- Public bath
- Ski facilities
- Meeting room
- Free parking
- EV charging
- Free shuttle bus
- Forest Treetop Trekking
- Forest Horseback Riding
- Wine House
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
Yatsugatake, Japan
Mountain towns an hour from Tokyo by bullet train, onsen in the forest and the Alps behind.
Questions
- How far is RISONARE Yatsugatake from Tokyo?
- The resort is about 120 minutes from Tokyo and 150 minutes from Nagoya. A free shuttle bus connects Kobuchisawa Station on the JR Central Main Line, a five-minute ride away, and drivers can reach the hotel in five minutes from Kobuchisawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.
- Who designed the resort?
- The hotel and its main street, Piment Street, were designed by the architect Mario Bellini.
- What dining options focus on wine?
- Yatsugatake Wine House offers tastings of 24 wines from Yamanashi and Nagano, OTTO SETTE's wine list runs to about 500 types and 2,000 bottles mainly from Yamanashi and Italy, and guests may bring bottles bought at the Wine House into any restaurant or cafe free of charge under the resort's bring-your-own policy.
- Is there a pool and spa on site?
- Yes. The indoor pool "il mare" includes a wave pool and a children's area and is available throughout a stay. The spa performs treatments entirely by hand, with some courses using organic French skincare.
- Are pets allowed at the resort?
- Pets are allowed, though only for guests travelling from within Japan, according to the resort's policy.
You might also consider
Hotels and resorts in Karuizawa & the Japan Alps
Hotel
Karuizawa, Karuizawa & the Japan Alps
HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
Seventy-seven pavilions stand within a wild bird sanctuary near Karuizawa, an hour from Tokyo by train, each designed around cool winds and geothermal heating.
Price on request
Hotel
Matsumoto, Karuizawa & the Japan Alps
KAI Matsumoto
A hot spring ryokan in Asama Onsen, Matsumoto, pairing Italian dinners and regional Shinshu wines with nightly live music and a two-onsen bathing hall.
Price on request