KAI Tamatsukuri

Hoshino Resorts' 24-room inn in Tamatsukuri: every room has its own open-air onsen bath, staff perform Iwami kagura every night and dinner centres on a shijimi-clam beef shabu-shabu — but the water is diluted, heated and recirculated, the building is full of steps, and 2026 reviews note slips in service

KAI Tamatsukuri is a two-storey, 24-room Hoshino Resorts inn set around a bamboo courtyard in Tamatsukuri Onsen, a spa the Izumo Fudoki praised for beautiful skin some 1,300 years ago. It reopened in November 2022 after a full renovation, and every room is now a 46–52㎡ 'Tamayu-no-ma' with its own open-air bath in Shigaraki ware or hinoki. Rooms are fitted with Izumo forged-iron handles and tiles from the Yumachi kiln. It rates 4.7 across 697 reviews on Jalan, with rooms and dinner at 4.8. Bloggers from 2024 to 2026 and recent reviewers praise three things. First, the Iwami kagura 'Orochi', danced by staff at 21:15 at close range. Second, the programme of activities: a tea ceremony, a ghost-story tea room, a sake bar and face packs soaked in spring water or sake. Third, dinners built around beef shabu-shabu in shijimi-clam broth, with live Matsuba crab in winter. Many guests also say the large bath is often almost empty because everyone uses their room tub. Know the catches before you book. Jalan lists the onsen as diluted, heated and recirculated, and a 2025 blogger noted the room tubs are filtered and recirculated. There is no sauna and no pick-up from the station. The building has steps everywhere, which older guests found hard. Several 2025–2026 reviews describe slipping standards: a cold breakfast, slow courses at dinner, cleaning missed in one room, insects at the dinner table and a check-in that took over 10 minutes. Two-meal stays run about ¥89,000–96,000 for two on the standard plan (October 2026), or ¥118,000 and up with crab.