Local Guide ~ An Original Japan Travel Guide by Hoshino Resorts' Local Staff

Local Guide

Kazutoshi Sato

A father of two who loves Nasu

He has lived in Nasu for 15 years. Even after 15 years, as a father of two children and a Staff/staff member working at the hotel, he never fails to visit tourist attractions and Properties. Even now, 15 years later, as a father of two and as a hotel staff member, he never neglects to visit tourist attractions and facilities.

Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Nasu: Located approximately 2 hours by car from Tokyo at an altitude of 500 m at the foot of Mt. Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, this highland resort opened in November 2019 and has 43 Guest rooms scattered amongst a vast natural forest of approximately 42,000 tsubo.
Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Nasu offers many experiences to enjoy and play with the bounty of nature. Italian cuisine that allows you to directly experience the flavor of the ingredients, a stay in Guest rooms in harmony with the forest, a lounge where you can spend time with a book, and an experience of farmer's handiwork in the Green House are just a few of the activities that you can enjoy during your holiday at this agriturismo resort.

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Local Guide FAQ

What do you recommend in Nasu?: The place I recommend to Guest/customers is the Nasu Animal Kingdom, located about 25 minutes by car from the hotel. There are many animals that even small children can interact with, and my family goes there at least once a year. Also, there are so many bakeries in Nasu that there are people who come from Tokyo to buy bread, so a tour of the bakeries is recommended.
The Nasu Heisei no Mori (Heisei Forest) and the Visitor Center are places where both adults and children can enjoy the natural beauty of Nasu.

Please sneak in some hole-in-the-wall places that you know because you live there.: (1) We recommend the "Roadside Station Higashiyama-do Iono-area," a 25-minute drive from Nasu Shiobara Station. It is famous for its buckwheat noodles and buckwheat soft serve ice cream, but it is also famous for its beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms and rape blossoms reflected in a water-filled rice paddy called Iwakannon, which Basho Matsuo visited and wrote a haiku about on the Narrow Road to the Deep North.
The Ungan-ji Temple, about 35 minutes by car from Nasu Shiobara Station, is definitely worth a visit. It is not a sightseeing temple, but it is a place that Sayuri Yoshinaga visited in a JR East commercial. I highly recommend the time of autumn leaves.

Where did you travel to last year and with whom?: I often visited Nasu and Shiobara hot springs for micro-tourism and other sightseeing spots around Utsunomiya.

What do you do on your days off?: I don't travel far, so I tend to stay in the neighborhood. I like movies, so I go to movies alone and visit bakeries. I also clean my house and wait leisurely for my family to come home. I also often have BBQ, which I have recently become addicted to.

Is there anything you always take with you on a trip?: I like taking pictures, so I take my cell phone with me. I also bring a selfie stick to take family photos.