From traditional sake to fresh seafood: Hoshino Resorts' September dining lineup

Hoshino Resorts has put together a September travel lineup built around seasonal cuisine, highlighting four properties where guests can savor local flavors alongside the pleasures of a stay.

HOSHINOYA Fuji, a two-hour drive from Tokyo, offers autumn glamping in a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji. Running throughout September, the Glamorous Grape Stay is a three-day, two-night itinerary that begins with a historical tour of the nationally designated Daizenji Temple, a winery and a vineyard, and concludes with a special dinner prepared by the head chef.

Available through mid-December, the Gastronomic Wild course dinner is an outdoor dining experience set amid a red pine forest. The menu opens with a trout and persimmon tartare, followed by a steamed dish combining four varieties of mushroom and venison prosciutto, then grilled Wagyu beef and venison.

For travelers who want a wine-focused trip without leaving the kids behind, Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Yatsugatake fits the bill. At the Risonare Kids Studio, children can try their hand at making desserts using seasonal ingredients in a full patissier experience. The Yamanashi Sparkling Lounge offers tastings of locally produced sparkling wine, and before dinner guests can stroll through the vineyards during a Vineyard Apéro session. The YYgrill buffet and grill restaurant serves Yamanashi and Nagano wines alongside family-friendly dining.

Those seeking the finest seafood a ryokan can offer should look to two properties under the premium KAI brand. Hoshino Resorts KAI Enshu in Hamamatsu features traditional tatami-floored rooms, each with a dedicated tea space stocked with three varieties of tea leaves, a tea set and light snacks.

Kaiseki multi-course dinners are also served in-room. The autumn and winter seasonal fugu-zukushi kaiseki lets guests enjoy a whole tiger puffer fish prepared every way — sashimi, tempura and hot pot. An eel dish sourced from nearby Lake Hamana also appears on the seasonal kaiseki menu.

OMO5 Hakodate by Hoshino Resorts rounds out the lineup with a seafood Big 5 breakfast spread. Guests choose from five Hakodate specialties served together: kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) assembled to their liking, robatayaki (charcoal-grilled seafood), shio ramen (salt-based ramen in a seafood broth), sushi, and ikameshi — a local Hakodate dish of squid stuffed with rice.