Hoshino Resorts to open hotel in Oze under new ‘Lucy' brand
Hoshino Resorts Inc. on April 22 announced the launch of a new brand called 'Lucy' after the famed English traveler Isabella Lucy Bird (1831-1904) to serve as bases for mountain tourism.
The company, headquartered in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, said Gunma Prefecture will be home to the first Lucy hotel scheduled open in September at Hatomachi Pass in Katashina village.
The pass is one of the main entrances to Oze National Park.
Regarding the environmental protection of Oze, company President Yoshiharu Hoshino said that the new hotel will not impact nature because 'it does not have the capacity to do so.'
Hoshino emphasized that the company has experience operating in areas where ecosystem protection is important, such as Iriomotejima island and Taketomijima island in Okinawa Prefecture.
'We will do what is necessary for the (Oze) region as we operate,' he said.
The company plans to expand the brand to several mountain tourism destinations, including Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture.
The new 25-room hotel, Lucy Ozehatomachi by Hoshino Resorts, is located on the site of the former Hatomachi Sanso mountain lodge and rest area, which used to be operated by Tokyo Power Technology.
Reservations open on June 2.
An accompanying facility, Hatomachi Base Cafe and Shop, is also going up alongside the hotel and is expected to open on Aug. 1.
The hotel is equipped with private rooms, hot-water toilets and showers, and is meant to cater to 'entry-level climbers' who feel uneasy about staying overnight in mountain lodges, the company said. It went on to share that there will also be a 24-hour convenience store.
'Japan is good at cultural tourism, but not as good at nature tourism,' said Hoshino.
In noting that there are 35 national parks in Japan, he said, 'If we create strong nature tourism content in these places, we can achieve regional diversification.'
Hoshino added that strengthening nature tourism may also help with the overtourism problem.
The company also announced its plans to open the 24th property under its "Kai" brand of hot spring inns in the Kusatsu Onsen resort area of Gunma Prefecture in spring 2026.
The site of the 94-room facility is a hill overlooking Mount Kusatsu-Shirane.
Another venture in Gunma is its running of what formerly was known as the Tanigawadake Ropeway service on the 1,977-meter high Mount Tanigawadake in Minakami since 2022.
The company renamed the ropeway to Tanigawadake Joch, using the German word for the lowest point between two peaks, in 2024.
This is part of its efforts to "rebrand the mountain" where it offers mountain climbing and other forms of tourism.
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