Hoshinoya Kyoto to Host "Oku-Arashiyama Cooling Summer Stay" Program, Enjoying Nature's Coolness and Cuisine in a Heian Aristocrat's Summer Retreat Up to 4.9 Degrees Cooler Than the City

Enjoy special shaved ice with water pepper (tade) syrup in a prime seat. "Hoshinoya" offers an overwhelmingly extraordinary experience with each property's unique theme. Hoshinoya Kyoto, an all-river-view ryokan in Arashiyama, Kyoto, will hold the "Oku-Arashiyama Cooling Summer Stay" program from July 1 to August 31, 2026. This program allows guests to enjoy the coolness and cuisine created by nature in a Heian aristocrat's summer retreat, which is up to 4.9 degrees cooler than the city center. After an early check-in, guests will savor special shaved ice with water pepper syrup in a cool, prime seat. For dinner, a special meal featuring seasonal ingredients in glass tableware will be served while watching the changing summer light. The next morning, after a mind and body-refreshing stretch feeling the river breeze, guests will enjoy a cooling breakfast with a view of the lush Arashiyama gorge. It is a luxurious stay program to feel the coolness, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. **Why Hoshinoya Kyoto is Cool** Hoshinoya Kyoto, rich in greenery. Arashiyama, where Hoshinoya Kyoto is located, was a villa area for Heian aristocrats, who are said to have visited to escape the summer heat. Due to its location on the north side of a mountain, abundant trees, and the stream water flowing from the mountain, the hotel's environment has a temperature up to 4.9 degrees lower than the city center (*1). Upon stepping onto the property, you can feel a cool breeze like a natural air conditioner, created by the cool air from the mountain and the mist-like stream water. The garden paths are pleasant places cooled by the transpiration of plants (*2). Guests can spend a luxurious summer enjoying seasonal ingredients amidst the coolness created by this unchanging nature. *1 Based on research by Weathernews Inc. The maximum temperature difference between the area around Kyoto Station and the main building of Hoshinoya Kyoto in fiscal year 2025. *2 The phenomenon where plants release water absorbed from their roots as water vapor from their leaves. This has a cooling effect by lowering the ambient temperature through the action of "evaporative heat," which removes surrounding heat. **Feature 1: Savoring Special Shaved Ice Incorporating the Wisdom of Heian Aristocrats** Special Hoshinoya Kyoto shaved ice and young ayu fish with a garlic (ninniku) paste filling. Enjoy Hoshinoya Kyoto's special shaved ice while gazing at the vibrant green maples. The syrup is a blend of refreshing water pepper (tade) and Wasanbon sugar. The dessert is served in a bamboo bowl that expresses the lush summer scenery of Arashiyama. In the past, Heian aristocrats cooled themselves in summer by shaving then-precious ice and pouring noble sweeteners over it (*3). Sublimating this elegant culture into the modern era, the special syrup luxuriously uses Wasanbon, a modern high-class sweet. Paired with the shaved ice is a young ayu fish with a filling of garlic (ninniku) paste, which was valued as a medicine to prevent summer fatigue in the Heian period (*4). It is a luxurious moment to enjoy the coolness of Oku-Arashiyama with a sweet treat filled with the wisdom of our ancestors. *3 In Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book," there is a passage that reads, "Shaved ice with amazura syrup, served in a new metal bowl." Shaved ice (kezurihi) was the shaved ice of the time. There is a description of eating ice shaved from an icehouse (himuro), topped with amazura, a sweetener of the time, and served in a metal bowl. *4 In the 2nd chapter "Hahakigi" of Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji," there is a depiction of garlic being called a "supremely hot medicinal herb" and taken for symptoms like summer fatigue. **Feature 2: A Special Dinner Enjoyed While Feeling the Changing Summer Light** A dinner enjoyed while feeling the changing light. The "Cooling Dinner" savors seasonal ingredients in glass tableware. Dinner is served at a prime seat where you can watch the summer sun slowly set through the window. It is a kaiseki course meal that lavishly uses seasonal ingredients, such as a starter made with seasonal pike conger (hamo) that has stored nutrients by drinking the rainy season's rain, and a cold dish of summer vegetables enjoyed with a consommé jelly. The dishes are arranged in visually cool glass tableware. In the Heian period, glass was extremely expensive and used on special occasions (*5). Guests can spend an elegant time enjoying the coolness of glass, which was also admired by the aristocrats of the past, along with the scenery of Oku-Arashiyama as the sun sets. *5 Classical literature such as Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji" and Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book" includes descriptions of handling glassware, showing that it was prized as a luxury furnishing among Heian aristocrats. **Feature 3: A Cool Special Breakfast Enjoyed While Viewing the Lush Scenery of the Arashiyama Gorge** The visually refreshing "Cooling Breakfast." In a guest room where you can enjoy the view of fresh green maples as if framed in a picture, you will enjoy the "Cooling Breakfast" while listening to the sound of the river. The main dish is a cold soup (hiyajiru) combining grilled grunt (isaki), tofu, and grated yam, served with freshly cooked silver rice (gin-shari). Enjoy a refreshing breakfast, exclusive to this program, that pleasantly permeates a body heated by the summer. **Sample Itinerary** 1:30 PM: Take the shuttle boat to the main building while enjoying the river breeze. 2:00 PM: Enjoy the special shaved ice. 3:00 PM: Check-in. 5:30 PM: Savor the "Cooling Dinner" in the dining room. 6:30 AM: Stretch by the river, feeling the refreshing breeze. 10:00 AM: Enjoy the "Cooling Breakfast" in your room while viewing the green maples. 12:00 PM: Check-out. **"Oku-Arashiyama Cooling Summer Stay" Overview** Dates: July 1 to August 31, 2026 Price: 52,030 yen for 1 person, 84,700 yen for 2 people (tax and service charge included, accommodation fee separate) Includes: Special shaved ice, Cooling Dinner, Cooling Breakfast, stretching on the pier Location: Hoshinoya Kyoto Eligibility: Staying guests Capacity: 1 group of 1-2 people Reservations: Required on the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakyoto/) up to 7 days in advance. Note: Program content may be subject to partial changes depending on the situation.