Re-opening after a major overhaul, the newly refurbished KAI Matsumoto has brought a sense of Italian style to combine with the traditional low-key luxury of this boutique onsen ryokan.
With upgrades to each of the 29 rooms, including an ultra-luxe signature suite, a revamped in-house dining experience, a new, opulent wine bar and a redefined music-hall style lobby, KAI Matsumoto has elevated its offerings while connecting itself indelibly to the history and character of this ancient castle town.
Indeed, located in Asama Onsen, KAI Matsumoto is part of the town’s ‘oku-zashiki‘ — the inner sanctum historically reserved for Matsumoto’s castle lords and samurai.
Matsumoto also has strong historical connections to music and is one of the main producers of guitars in Japan. This is beautifully reflected in many touches through the hotel.
KAI Matsumoto – ‘A Ryokan Immersed in Matsumoto Elegante‘
With its new concept of ‘Matsumoto Elegante’, the Italian word for elegant or stylish, KAI Matsumoto ties in Japanese onsen culture with Italian cuisine, local wine and music.
Stepping beyond traditional multi-course kaiseki cuisine, KAI Matsumoto offers a dining experience that marks the KAI brand’s first-ever full Italian course, paired with local Shinshu wines, one of Japan’s premier wine-producing regions.
The dining experience begins with six ‘stuzzichini’ — Italian style canapés — served on a custom-designed piano-inspired platter. In the world of music, ‘elegante’ is a direction to perform with elegance and style, elaborating yet again on the concept of ‘a ryokan immersed in Matsumoto Elegante’.
Served alongside the stuzzichini is a glass of SanSan Winery’s Brut Blanc. Using Champagne’s traditional method of secondary bottle fermentation, this sparkling wine has a delicate bouquet, a fine bead and an elegant, crisp acidity.
Relaxing in a yukata after a soothing onsen soak, guests can indulge in this seamless blend of local climate, gastronomy and wine; a refreshing, modern evolution of luxury ryokan hospitality.
KAI Matsumoto Lets The Music Play
Beneath the vast ten-metre high ceiling of the new lobby, displays of guitars, tools and timber show the craft of constructing these instruments. Each day, as part of the KAI brand’s Cultural Discovery program, guests can enjoy the Sonority Concert here.
Staff explain the painstaking production process that still goes on in Matsumoto workshops today before demonstrating the tonal characteristics of different wood types guitars are made from. The demonstration is followed by a concert, which puts into practice the remarkable architectural acoustics of this dramatic yet welcoming lobby space.
Guests will also enjoy the authentic feel of gentle music from vinyl records played throughout the property, including in the guest rooms.
To enhance the experience of fine wine, music and immersion in local culture still further, KAI Matsumoto’s elegant new Nagano Wine Bar guides guests to a front row seat at the concert while enjoying exquisite vintages from the nearby wineries.
KAI Matsumoto Gives Guest Rooms The Regional Suite Treatment
In another bold move towards elevating the luxury offering of KAI Matsumoto, all guest rooms here have been upgraded to modern, KAI Regional Suite standards, labelled ‘Gaku no Ma’. Gaku is a homophone, with different spellings in kanji. When spoken, gaku could mean ‘learning’, ‘mountains’ or ‘music’. These are three pillars of life that the people of Matsumoto hold dear.
Each of the 29 rooms features a vinyl record player and high-fidelity speakers, and custom Matsumoto Keisei-nuri artwork — a local lacquerware craft enhanced by finishing techniques used on the body of guitars.
Of the 29 keys, 19 also have their own private onsen baths, but the pinnacle of these rooms is the signature 130m² GAKU Suite.
Not only does this palatial room have all the trappings of the Gaku no Ma suites, it features its own sauna, cold plunge pool, private open-air hot spring bath and even a piano in the suite’s spacious living room. Outside, along the with onsen bath, is a private terrace complete with outdoor speakers and plush daybed.
KAI Matsumoto Offers A Multitude Of Onsen Baths Each Designed To Relax You That Little Bit More
As part of the town’s ‘inner parlour’ (oku-zashiki), Asama Onsen holds a rich history as the site of the Lord of Matsumoto Castle’s Goten-yu (palace bath). Drawing from famous hot springs, KAI Matsumoto offers a luxurious bathing tour spanning eight types and 13 variations of relaxing and reviving soaks within the property.
These include spacious indoor and open-air baths, a radiant bath that gently warms the body, a Hinoki sawdust bath filled with aromatic Hinoki wood, and a reclining bath where bathers surrender to buoyancy to float their stress away.
After bathing in the public baths, guests can recline in the newly installed post-bath lounge while sipping on hydrating apple vinegar made locally from Shinshu apples.
KAI Matsumoto aims to soothe the soul of discerning travellers, offering a seamless blend of relaxation and cultural indulgence.
