[HOSHINOYA Fuji] Adult Food Education Program "Hunting Experience Tour" to Reconsider the Connection of Life, Celebrating its 10th Year

A "Hunting Experience Tour" where participants accompany skilled hunters and observe/experience the entire hunting process up close.

HOSHINOYA offers an overwhelmingly unique and extraordinary experience at each of its resorts, based on original themes. HOSHINOYA Fuji, Japan's first glamping resort, will hold its annual "Hunting Experience Tour" eight times from October 1, 2026, to January 7, 2027. This adult food education program encourages participants to reconsider the connection of life by observing and experiencing hunting, and following the process by which life is transformed into food and traditional crafts. This year, marking its 10th anniversary, a new "Forest Walk to Learn About Nature" has been added, where participants walk through the forests of Fuji with foresters to experience the workings of nature firsthand.

Background

In the Fuji foothills, the overpopulation of deer and wild boar has led to serious problems of damage to agriculture and forestry (wildlife damage) and destruction of the ecosystem due to the consumption of bark and plants. In Yamanashi Prefecture, agricultural damage caused by deer amounts to approximately 50 million yen annually (FY2024). The prefecture is adjusting the population based on its management plan, but only about 10% of the captured animals are utilized as game meat (gibier), with the majority being discarded. HOSHINOYA Fuji has been addressing this regional issue by continuously offering gibier dishes since its opening. Since its inception in 2017, this tour has, over the past nine years, conveyed the "weight of life" to a cumulative total of 38 groups of guests through the skills of top-tier hunters and traditional craftspeople. It goes beyond a mere hunting experience, offering an opportunity to reflect on the importance of living in harmony with nature and utilizing life without waste, by tracing the cycle of how discarded lives are transformed into food and traditional crafts.

(Note 1) Yamanashi Prefecture's Second Type of Specially Designated Wildlife (Sika Deer) Management Plan, 3rd Term, Annual Implementation Plan, FY2026

(Note 2) Survey on the Actual State of Wildlife Resource Utilization, FY2024

Feature 1: Deepen understanding of hunters' dedication and the act of taking life through a hunting experience

Hunters who know the ecology of deer and wild boar inside out and possess a full range of skills.

This tour takes place in the forests of the Fuji foothills. This area has a growing deer population due to abundant food sources and limited human access. The tour is guided by local hunters who are highly knowledgeable about hunting and involved in producing high-quality gibier. To transform a taken life into delicious gibier, it requires not only the act of hunting but also speed and skill in every step, from the kill and bleeding to temperature control and butchering. Participants will observe and experience the entire hunting process up close, accompanying skilled hunters who understand deer and wild boar ecology, while learning about their dedication to transforming their catch into exquisite gibier.

Feature 2: "Forest Walk to Learn About Nature" with foresters to understand the workings of the forest [POWER UP]

Exploring game trails and animal tracks while listening to foresters.

The day before the hunting experience, participants will walk through the HOSHINOYA Fuji forest with local foresters. During the "Forest Walk to Learn About Nature," participants will listen to foresters explain the formation of the Fuji forests and how they became habitats for animals, while exploring game trails and animal tracks. This is a time to experience firsthand why hunting has been a necessary culture in these rich forests. After the walk, participants will gather around a campfire in a prime spot in the forest, enjoying the comfortable atmosphere, stimulating their intellectual curiosity, and deepening their understanding of the next day's hunting experience.

Feature 3: "Gibier Dinner" that transforms life into exquisite cuisine without waste

A gibier dinner using every part of the venison.

The dinner following the hunting experience is a "Gibier Dinner" that transforms venison into exquisite cuisine, using every part of the animal. This is a course meal enjoyed outdoors, featuring gibier sourced from the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park area. The taste of venison changes with the seasons, depending on what the deer eat. Autumn is particularly delicious, as deer store fat from eating acorns and nuts, making it the best season for enjoying gibier. By experiencing the process of consuming it as a delicious ingredient, participants will deepen their understanding of the importance of utilizing life without waste.

Feature 4: "Urushi Lacquer Application on Koshu Inden" to feel the cycle of life through traditional culture

Experience applying lacquer to patterns in the HOSHINOYA Fuji cabins (guest rooms).

"Koshu Inden" is a traditional craft of Yamanashi, made from deerskin decorated with beautiful patterns using lacquer. Deerskin, which is light and soft yet durable, was historically used for samurai armor. On this tour, participants will experience applying lacquer to patterns in the HOSHINOYA Fuji cabins (guest rooms). The lacquer application will be taught by Yusuke Yamamoto, the only traditional craftsman of Koshu Inden in Japan. Participants will choose their preferred pattern from original HOSHINOYA Fuji stencils, and the lacquered deerskin will be processed into a small item of their choice, delivered to their home later. By experiencing the process of deerskin being transformed, participants will learn how to utilize resources from life without waste, beyond the parts consumed as food.

Introduction of Mr. Akito Taniyama

Akito Taniyama

Born in 1970. Moved to Lake Yamanaka in 2006 with the aim of coexisting with nature. Based in Yamanakako Village and Oshino Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, he engages in the maintenance, management, and forest conservation of trees and turf. Through his daily work, he witnesses firsthand how deer damage, such as bark stripping and the consumption of new shoots, hinders forest regeneration and disrupts the ecosystem.

Introduction of Mr. Yusuke Yamamoto

Yusuke Yamamoto

Born in 1982. He is active in passing down new Koshu Inden while inheriting traditional techniques. In 2018, he obtained the title of Koshu Inden Traditional Craftsman (General Category). He also gives lectures on the history of Koshu Inden at educational institutions and organizations within the prefecture, contributing to the increased recognition of Koshu Inden.

Schedule

<Day 1>

15:00 Check-in

16:00 Forest Walk to Learn About Nature

18:00 Shabu-shabu hot pot at the foot of the mountain (separate charge)

<Day 2>

7:30 Morning BOX (separate charge)

8:30 Departure from HOSHINOYA Fuji

9:00 Arrival at Lake Motosu, Orientation

9:30 Departure for the Hunting Experience Tour

12:00 Lunch indoors by Lake Motosu

13:30 Observation and experience of deer butchering

16:00 Arrival at HOSHINOYA Fuji

18:00 Gibier Dinner

<Day 3>

8:00 Breakfast in the dining room (separate charge)

10:00 Koshu Inden Urushi Lacquer Application Experience

12:00 Check-out

"Hunting Experience Tour" Overview

Dates: October 1, October 15, October 29, November 12, November 26, December 10, December 24, 2026, January 7, 2027 (8 sessions total)

Price: 111,000 yen per person (tax and service charge included) *Accommodation fee separate

Duration: 2 nights, 3 days

Capacity: 1 group per day (2-3 people per group) *Junior high school students and older

Reservations: Accepted on the official website (https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyafuji/) up to 2 weeks in advance

Clothing/What to bring: Comfortable clothing and shoes

Included: Accompanying hunters, observation/experience of butchering, rubber boot rental, lunch, Forest Walk to Learn About Nature (including drinks), Gibier Dinner, Koshu Inden Urushi Lacquer Application Experience, Koshu Inden accessory

Notes: The hunting method may change depending on the situation.

In case of bad weather, some content may be changed or canceled.

Menu items may change depending on ingredient availability.

Hoshino Resorts' "Katte ni SDGs" (Doing SDGs Our Way)

Hoshino Resorts emphasizes "CSV Management" (Note 3), which balances economic and social value, and is committed to promoting sustainability. In 1914, Hoshino Onsen Ryokan opened in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, and in 1917, they began generating hydroelectric power using a wooden waterwheel. To secure more electricity, they completed their first hydroelectric power plant in 1929. Starting in earnest with environmental management in the 1990s, they have been addressing regional issues through their core business, such as promoting ecotourism and reducing waste, even before the advent of SDGs (Note 4). Currently, they view SDGs as a "tool for promoting CSV Management" and introduce their initiatives under the title "Katte ni SDGs," with the intention of "proactively engaging based on our own values, rather than as an obligation demanded by society."

[Reference] https://hoshinoresorts.com/jp/aboutus/sdgs/

(Note 3) CSV: Creating Shared Value. An approach where companies aim to solve social issues through their core business.

(Note 4) SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals

HOSHINOYA Fuji

Japan's first glamping resort, HOSHINOYA Fuji.

Nestled on a hill overlooking Lake Kawaguchiko, this is Japan's first glamping resort*. Enjoy moments gazing at the campfire, experience-based dining in the vast pine forest, and the exhilaration of physical activity in nature. In an environment where you can always be comfortable outdoors, we offer new value throughout the seasons.

* Survey of "Glamping Resorts" in Japan, October 2015. Conducted by Hoshino Resorts.

Location: 1408 Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture, 401-0305

Phone: 050-3134-8091 (Hoshino Resorts Central Reservations)

Number of rooms: 40 rooms / Check-in: 15:00 / Check-out: 12:00

Price: From 147,000 yen per night (per room, tax and service charge included, meals separate)

Access: Approximately 20 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko IC

URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyafuji/

HOSHINOYA

With the concept "To the best seat in the house, at that moment," HOSHINOYA offers an overwhelmingly unique and extraordinary experience at each of its resorts, based on original themes. At each facility, both domestically and internationally, we delicately weave in the local climate, history, and culture to provide guests with the ultimate moments that can only be experienced during the season of their visit, liberating them from the flow of everyday time. In 2025, the brand will celebrate its 20th anniversary, and in June 2026, "HOSHINOYA Nara Prison," utilizing a designated important cultural property, will open. "HOSHINOYA Asuka" is scheduled to open in 2027.

URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/brands/hoshinoya/